Estrogen treatment during development alters adult partner preference and reproductive behavior in female laboratory rats - PubMed (original) (raw)

Estrogen treatment during development alters adult partner preference and reproductive behavior in female laboratory rats

C L Henley et al. Horm Behav. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

There is broad acceptance for the idea that during development estradiol 'organizes' many aspects of reproductive behavior including partner preferences in the laboratory rat. With respect to partner preference, this idea is drawn from studies where estrogen action was in someway blocked, either through aromatase or estrogen receptor inhibition, during development in male rats. The lack of estrogens neonatally results in a decrease in the male rat's preference for females. In this study, the effect of early postnatal estradiol treatment on the partner preferences of female rats was examined as a further test of the hypothesis that male-typical partner preference is dependent upon early exposure to estrogens. Our principal finding was that increased postnatal estradiol exposure during development affected partner preference in the expected direction, and this effect was seen under several adult hormonal and behavioral testing conditions. Female rats that received exogenous estradiol during development spent more time with an estrous female and less time with a sexually active male than did cholesterol treated females. The estradiol treatment also disrupted normal female sexual behavior, receptivity, and proceptivity.

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Figures

Fig 1

Behavioral testing schedule for the experimental females receiving neonatal treatments of cholesterol (C, n=16) or estradiol benzoate [EB either 5% (n=14) or 10% (n=16)]. Data were not collected during weeks 2 and 3 during which the animals received sexual/social experience. EB and P represent adult hormone treatments prior to each behavioral test. Note: Although not shown here, there were two doses (12.5% and 25%) of adult EB treatment (see text for more details).

Fig. 2

Duration of time experimental females spent (A) with the stimulus female, (B) with the stimulus male, and (C) in the middle chamber during the partner preference tests. Preference score (D) is calculated as time spent with stimulus female – time spent with stimulus male. C females spend less time with the female and more time with the male compared with 10% and 5% females. *Significantly different from 10% and 5% females, p<0.001. See text for details.

Fig 3

Time experimental females spent in the male chamber during the female sexual behavior tests. Regardless of progesterone treatment, females treated with 10% EB spent significantly less time with the male than did females treated with cholesterol. *Significantly different from 10% females, p=0.02. See text for details.

Fig. 4

Frequencies of mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations during the female sexual behavior tests. Males showed fewer behaviors when paired with the EB females compared to the C females. (A) Test with adult EB alone treatment. (B) Test with adult EB + P treatment. * Significantly different from EB females, p<0.001. See text for details.

Fig. 5

Frequency of proceptive behaviors shown by experimental females during the female sexual behavior test after treatment with adult EB + P. EB females exhibited fewer proceptive behaviors than did C females. * Significantly different from EB females, p<0.01. See text for details.

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Estrogen treatment during development alters adult partner preference and reproductive behavior in female laboratory rats - PubMed (original) (raw)