Aggressive behavior associated with naturally elevated serum testosterone in mares

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Abstract

Naturally elevated serum testosterone levels do occur in mares and may be of adrenal or ovarian origin, due to lesions in these organs themselves or to a lesion in the hypothalamo—pituitary axes. These elevated levels work on sexually dimorphic areas of the body to result in certain masculine characteristics. Of the mares exhibiting these characteristics, some are normal with respect to androgen levels, some have tumors of either the adrenal cortex or the ovary, and the others may have impairments in enzymatic transformation which result in the elevated serum testosterone levels.

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