Abstract
Male rats castrated at four days of age were given fluoxymesterone (FM) or testosterone (TP) for the next seven days. As adults they were given exogenous testosterone and tested for mating behavior. Most FM animals intromitted frequently but were incapable of ejaculation, whereas all TP animals showed the complete mating sequence. Since phallic development in FM animals was equal to that of TP animals, this behavioral difference was attributed to some difference in development in the central nervous system. After a spinal transection was performed on the same animals, tests for penile reflexes revealed no differences between FM and TP animals, indicating that this differential development was in the brain. In another experiment male rats were castrated at 7 days of age, given exogenous testosterone in adulthood, and tested for mating behavior; about half of these animals were capable of ejaculation. There did not seem to be sufficient differences in phallic development between the ejaculators and nonejaculators to account for the ability or inability to ejaculate. These results and other observations from the two experiments are consistent with the concept that although the neural basis for mounting and intromission behavior in rats may be organized independently of neonatal androgen, the neural substrate controlling ejaculation behavior does require the influence of neonatal gonadal androgen for complete development.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 841-845 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1972 |
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Keywords
- Androgens
- Penis
- Sexual behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Cite this
Manipulation of neonatal androgen : Effects on sexual responses and penile development in male rats. / Hart, Benjamin.
In: Physiology and Behavior, Vol. 8, No. 5, 01.01.1972, p. 841-845.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Manipulation of neonatal androgen
T2 - Effects on sexual responses and penile development in male rats
AU - Hart, Benjamin
PY - 1972/1/1
Y1 - 1972/1/1
N2 - Male rats castrated at four days of age were given fluoxymesterone (FM) or testosterone (TP) for the next seven days. As adults they were given exogenous testosterone and tested for mating behavior. Most FM animals intromitted frequently but were incapable of ejaculation, whereas all TP animals showed the complete mating sequence. Since phallic development in FM animals was equal to that of TP animals, this behavioral difference was attributed to some difference in development in the central nervous system. After a spinal transection was performed on the same animals, tests for penile reflexes revealed no differences between FM and TP animals, indicating that this differential development was in the brain. In another experiment male rats were castrated at 7 days of age, given exogenous testosterone in adulthood, and tested for mating behavior; about half of these animals were capable of ejaculation. There did not seem to be sufficient differences in phallic development between the ejaculators and nonejaculators to account for the ability or inability to ejaculate. These results and other observations from the two experiments are consistent with the concept that although the neural basis for mounting and intromission behavior in rats may be organized independently of neonatal androgen, the neural substrate controlling ejaculation behavior does require the influence of neonatal gonadal androgen for complete development.
AB - Male rats castrated at four days of age were given fluoxymesterone (FM) or testosterone (TP) for the next seven days. As adults they were given exogenous testosterone and tested for mating behavior. Most FM animals intromitted frequently but were incapable of ejaculation, whereas all TP animals showed the complete mating sequence. Since phallic development in FM animals was equal to that of TP animals, this behavioral difference was attributed to some difference in development in the central nervous system. After a spinal transection was performed on the same animals, tests for penile reflexes revealed no differences between FM and TP animals, indicating that this differential development was in the brain. In another experiment male rats were castrated at 7 days of age, given exogenous testosterone in adulthood, and tested for mating behavior; about half of these animals were capable of ejaculation. There did not seem to be sufficient differences in phallic development between the ejaculators and nonejaculators to account for the ability or inability to ejaculate. These results and other observations from the two experiments are consistent with the concept that although the neural basis for mounting and intromission behavior in rats may be organized independently of neonatal androgen, the neural substrate controlling ejaculation behavior does require the influence of neonatal gonadal androgen for complete development.
KW - Androgens
KW - Penis
KW - Sexual behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0015345291&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0015345291&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0031-9384(72)90294-6
DO - 10.1016/0031-9384(72)90294-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 5046238
AN - SCOPUS:0015345291
VL - 8
SP - 841
EP - 845
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
SN - 0031-9384
IS - 5
ER -