Testosterone affects pain-related responses differently in male and female rats

To evaluate the role of testosterone in pain modulation, we subcutaneously injected male and female rats with testosterone propionate (TP, 5 mg/kg in oil) or oil for 6 days; on the seventh day, all rats were subjected to the formalin test (10%, 50 microl). Behaviours were recorded in an open field (60 min). At the end of the formalin test, the rats were anaesthetized to collect blood from the abdominal aorta. Among the formalin-induced responses, licking was higher in females than males and was decreased by TP in females; jerking and flexing were only slightly affected by treatment. TP increased testosterone plasma levels in both sexes. These results indicate a role of testosterone in modulating formalin-induced responses. The effects appear to be different in males and females.