Science · 1964 · 132 citations · 6 references
MedicineEndocrinologyPhysiologyReproductive BiologyReproductive EndocrinologyReproductive PhysiologyBehavioral EndocrinologyDevelopmental EndocrinologyEndocrinology Of ReproductionHormonal Regulation Of ReproductionMammalian EndocrinologyRodent ReproductionDevelopmental Hormonal EffectsEstradiol PhysiologyEstradiol TherapyMale Sexual BehaviorSex Steroid PharmacologySex Steroid PhysiologyTestosterone Regulation
The injection of 100 microg of estradiol benzoate into female rats 96 hours after birth abolished sexual receptivity in adulthood, even with estrogen and progesterone replacement after ovariectomy. The administration of testosterone propionate to these animals in adulthood elicited the full pattern of male sexual behavior. The same dose of estrogen given to male rats 96 hours after birth produced adults which were unable to achieve intromission, although they mounted as frequently as normal animals. Testosterone replacement after castration in adulthood reproduced this abnormal behavior.
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