Functional changes to Achilles tendon and enthesis in an adolescent mouse model of testosterone hormone therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose/aim

Some youth seek puberty suppression to prolong decision-making prior to starting hormone therapy to help align their physical sex characteristics with their gender identity. During peripubertal growth, connective tissues such as tendon rapidly adapt to applied mechanical loads (e.g. exercise) yet if and how tendon adaptation is influenced by sex and gender-affirming hormone therapy during growth remains unknown. The goal of this study was to understand how pubertal suppression followed by testosterone influences the structural and functional properties of the Achilles tendon using an established adolescent mouse model of testosterone hormone therapy.

Materials and methods

C57BL/6N female mice were assigned at postnatal day 26 to the following experimental groups:

SUBMITTER: Hold LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12105046 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature