BACKGROUND: Ankylosing enthesopathy (ANKENT) with progressive stiffening of ankle and tarsal joints of the hind limbs is a naturally occurring arthropathy in B10.BR mice. Some features are similar to those of the spondyloarthropathies in humans. OBJECTIVE: To study the role of sexual dimorphism and testosterone in the development of ANKENT. METHODS: The incidence of ANKENT was observed in non-castrated, castrated, and testosterone substituted castrated male mice, and in control and testosterone treated female mice. RESULTS: ANKENT occurred only in males; it did not develop in males castrated at age 2-3 months but occurred in castrated males injected with testosterone. Females injected with testosterone did not develop ANKENT. CONCLUSION: Testosterone can replace what castration eliminates, at least in the postpubertally castrated males, but is itself not sufficient to induce joint disease.

Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague

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