Influence of testosterone on hydronephrosis in the inbred mouse strain DDD.

Hereditary hydronephrosis was detected in all of the male mice of DDD inbred strain maintained at the National Institute of Animal Health Japan, but in only a few of the females. From the standpoint that male hormones are related to the development of hydronephrosis in this strain, the incidence and severity of the disease were investigated in gonadectomized mice treated with testosterone. In the males, the incidence of hydronephrosis was 50% (7/14) in the control (gonadectomized) group, and 73.3% (11/15), 100% (13/13) and 100% (12/12) in the 0.1 mg, 3.3 mg and 10 mg treatment groups respectively. The same tendency was observed in the female animals, though the incidence in each group was not so high. In both sexes the degree of severity increased in proportion to the dose of testosterone administrated. Blood testosterone levels were higher in intact DDD mice than in C57BL/6 mice, which had normal kidneys in both sexes. These results suggest that male hormones play a significant role in the development of hydronephrosis.