Effects of Gonadal Steroids on Melanocytes in Developing Hamsters

    June 1986 in “ Pediatric Dermatology ”
    Leo C. Diaz, Tapas K. Das Gupta, Craig W. Beattie
    TLDR Androgens increase pigmentation in young hamsters, but estrogens can reverse this effect.
    The study investigated the effects of 5α‐dihydrotestosterone and estradiol‐17β on pigmentation in prepubertal male Syrian hamsters. 5α‐dihydrotestosterone increased pigmentation in both intact and hypophysectomized hamsters without changing the percentage of pigmented area, while estradiol decreased the number of melanocytes in scrotal skin of intact animals. The androgen-induced pigmentation was reversed by estradiol, suggesting that androgenic stimulation of pigmentation is direct, occurs before puberty, is tissue-specific, and can be antagonized by estrogens. The differential response of melanocytes may be due to changes in premelanin oxidation, melanocyte morphology, or melanin synthesis rate.
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