Female sexual responses in male cats facilitated by olfactory bulbectomy and medial preoptic/anterior hypothalamic lesions

Bilateral lesions of the medial preoptic/anterior hypothalamic area and olfactory bulbectomies were performed sequentially in sexually active male cats, with the behavior of operations balanced. Male sexual behavior was virtually eliminated by the combined operations in all cats. Increased levels of female proceptive behavior were seen following either type of lesion alone, and combined operations resulted in increased levels of receptivity. The results support the concept that there exists, within the brains of male animals, the neural basis for the display of female as well as male sexual responses and that certain brain operations may potentiate the display of female responses. However, it does not appear that the reduction of male behavior is necessarily coupled with an increase in female behavior since no correlation was seen between the degree of enhancement of female behavoir and the decrement in male behavior.