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The effects of androgen on the density of spine synapses on pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were studied in male rats. Gonadectomy (GDNX) had no significant effect on the number of CA1 pyramidal cells but reduced CA1 spine synapse density by almost 50% (to 0.468 ± 0.018 spine synapses/μm³) compared with sham-operated controls (0.917 ± 0.06 spine synapses/μm³). Treatment of GDNX rats with testosterone propionate (500 μg/d, s.c., 2 d) increased spine synapse density to levels (1.01 ± 0.026 spine synapses/μm³) comparable with intact males. A similar increase in synapse density (1.013 ± 0.05 spine synapses/μm³) was observed in GDNX animals after treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (500 μg/d, s.c., 2 d) but not after estradiol (10 μg/d, s.c., 2 d; 0.455 ± 0.02 spine synapse/μm³). These data indicate that testosterone is important for maintenance of normal spine synapse …