Influence of neonatally administered hormones and early gonadectomy on rats' sexual behavior.

Abstract

Either estrogen or androgen administered neonatally and gonadectomy within 24 hr. after birth influenced the amount of homotypical and heterotypical sexual behavior displayed by 154 Sprague-Dawley rats. Female behavior was suppressed in Day 1 castrated males and in females by both estrogen and androgen injections. Although castration of males soon after birth increased their female behavioral tendencies, the quality of the estrous pattern was not equivalent to that exhibited by females. Male behavior was decreased in males by early castration and increased in females by injection of either estrogen or androgen. Ss in which electrolytic lesions were produced in the preoptic-suprachiasmatic area did not exhibit sexual behavior patterns different from controls. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)