Effects of methyltestosterone on reproduction in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Although the hormone-mediated effects of the synthetic androgenic hormone methyltestosterone (MT) are well characterized in mammals, little is known about endocrine and other toxic effects on reproduction in birds. In a one-generation study, MT was administered to adult Japanese quail (12 pairs per group) at dietary dose levels of 0, 10, 50, and 110 ppm for a period of 3 weeks. Reproductive performance was severely affected in the groups receiving 50 and 110 ppm MT. In females, the egg-laying rate was reduced not only related to the dose administered but also to the duration of treatment. The administration of 110 ppm, and to a lesser extent, of 50 ppm MT resulted in an immediate and dramatic decrease in the total number of eggs laid, which complicated reliable assessment of other reproduction-related parameters. In males, the findings suggested inhibition of spermatogenesis at dose levels of 50 ppm and above, resulting in a subsequent reduction in male fertility.