The Degree of Sex Reversal in Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata domestica) Induced by an Aromatase Inhibitor.

In this study, we obtained sex-reversed Muscovy ducks by injecting letrozole before sex differentiation. We analyzed the degree of sex reversal in Muscovy ducks in terms of hormone levels, gonadal tissue development, and growth and found that the estradiol levels of AI-females (letrozole-induced female-to-male sex reversal) were not significantly different from those of normal males (p > 0.05), but the testosterone levels were significantly lower than those in normal males (p < 0.05). AI-female gonad tissue had changed, and the right gonad presented ovotestis tissue. The growth and development of AI-females was significantly less than that of normal males (p < 0.05) but was not significantly different from that of normal females (p > 0.05). Letrozole can induce female Muscovy ducks to convert into males, but the reversal cannot be completed. Thus, further studies are needed to elucidate how to entirely attain the change. PMID: 31450230 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Sexual Development : genetics, molecular biology, evolution, endocrinology, embryology, and pathology of sex determination and differentiation - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Sex Dev Source Type: research