Figure 8. Plasma levels of total and free testosterone on the first and last day of injection of intact and gonadectomized male rats with testosterone replacement.
Total (A and B) and free (C and D) testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in INT (white bars) and GDX-T (grey bars) animals. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; N: Total Testosterone: Day 1: Saline: INT = 9, GDX = 8; Cocaine: INT = 8, GDX-T = 9; Day 13: Saline: INT = 22, GDX-T = 21; Cocaine; INT = 32, GDX-T = 33; Free Testosterone: Day 1: Saline: INT = 9, GDX = 8; Cocaine: INT = 8, GDX-T = 9; Day 13: Saline: INT = 10, GDX-T = 9; Cocaine; INT = 10, GDX-T = 10. Values for GDX animals were negligible and not included in the graph. GDX-T animals had higher total and free testosterone levels than intact male rats when treated with saline. A single cocaine injection (Day 1) did not alter total (A) or free (C) testosterone plasma levels when compared to their saline counterpart. Repeated cocaine administration (Day 13; B and D) decreased plasma testosterone of GDX-T compared to their saline counterparts, although only total testosterone reached statistical significance. * p<0.05 compared to INT animals with the same drug treatment; # p < 0.01 compared to the saline counterpart.