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Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Williams, CL
Published in: Behavioral neuroscience
October 1987

The effects of exogenous and endogenous steroids on components of female sexual behavior of neonatal male and female rats were investigated. In Experiment 1, 4-day-old rats were treated with 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, or 100 micrograms/10 g body weight estradiol benzoate (EB) and were tested 44 hr later. In Experiment 2, male rats castrated within 24 to 48 hr of birth were compared with sham operated controls and castrates given steroid replacement. The results indicated that most 6-day-old pups will display lordosis and ear wiggling; therefore, the display of these responses is not dependent upon exogenous steroids. However, a fine-grained behavioral analysis revealed that EB treatment increased the frequency, duration, and intensity of lordosis and the frequency of ear wiggling in infant females, and it increased lordosis duration in males. Castration of infant males decreased the likelihood that male infants would display lordosis, whereas testosterone replacement restored behavior to control levels. These data question the concept that organizational and activational actions of estrogens occur during completely separable times in development and should provide new insights into the development of estrogen receptor function and the process of sexual differentiation of brain and behavior.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Behavioral neuroscience

DOI

EISSN

1939-0084

ISSN

0735-7044

Publication Date

October 1987

Volume

101

Issue

5

Start / End Page

718 / 723

Related Subject Headings

  • Sexual Behavior, Animal
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Rats
  • Posture
  • Male
  • Female
  • Estradiol
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Animals
 

Citation

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Williams, C. L. (1987). Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 101(5), 718–723. https://doi.org/10.1037//0735-7044.101.5.718
Williams, C. L. “Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats.Behavioral Neuroscience 101, no. 5 (October 1987): 718–23. https://doi.org/10.1037//0735-7044.101.5.718.
Williams CL. Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats. Behavioral neuroscience. 1987 Oct;101(5):718–23.
Williams, C. L. “Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats.Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 101, no. 5, Oct. 1987, pp. 718–23. Epmc, doi:10.1037//0735-7044.101.5.718.
Williams CL. Estradiol benzoate facilitates lordosis and ear wiggling of 4- to 6-day-old rats. Behavioral neuroscience. 1987 Oct;101(5):718–723.

Published In

Behavioral neuroscience

DOI

EISSN

1939-0084

ISSN

0735-7044

Publication Date

October 1987

Volume

101

Issue

5

Start / End Page

718 / 723

Related Subject Headings

  • Sexual Behavior, Animal
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Rats
  • Posture
  • Male
  • Female
  • Estradiol
  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Animals