Rapid changes in sociosexual behaviors around transition to and from behavioral estrus, in female rats housed in a seminatural environment.
Behav Processes
; 174: 104101, 2020 May.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32119907
Gonadally intact female rats display sexual behaviors only during a portion of the estrus cycle. In standard experimental setups, the on- and offset of sexual behavior is gradual. However, in naturalistic settings, it is almost instantaneous. We assessed the changes in sociosexual behaviors at the beginning and end of behavioral estrus in ovariectomized females treated with ovarian hormones. Rats were housed in a seminatural environment, in groups of three males and four females. We scored female and male behavior during the 8â¯min preceding and following the first and last lordosis of behavioral estrus. Immediately before the first lordosis, there was a sharp increase in female paracopulatory behaviors whereas the end of estrus was marked by a sudden decrease in these behaviors. There was no systematic change in other female behavior patterns. These data suggest that the display of female paracopulatory behaviors plays a key role. Both during transition into and out of behavioral estrus, most behavioral changes occurred within one minute. The rapid changes must be unrelated to ovarian hormone fluctuations in these ovariectomized females. Perhaps they can be explained in terms of hormone-induced, dynamic (chaotic) changes in the function of critical structures within the brain.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducta Sexual Animal
/
Conducta Social
/
Estro
/
Vivienda para Animales
Aspecto:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Behav Processes
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Países Bajos