Testosterone: the culprit for producing splenocyte immune depression after trauma hemorrhage

Research was conducted to examine whether the administration of testosterone to female mice could mimic the splenocyte immune depression occurring in male mice after trauma hemorrhage. For pretreatment purposes, the testosterone derivative 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone was selected since it is considered as a primary androgenic hormone in males. Results indicate that male sex hormones contribute to the different immune responses in males compared with females.