SEXUAL DRIVE OF FEMALE RATS 'MASCULINIZED' BY TESTOSTERONE DURING GESTATION

Abstract

INTRODUCTION It is known that adult female rats surgically deprived of both uterus and vagina continue to exhibit the normal mating pattern as far as possible with their changed anatomy (Ball, 1934). The possibility remains, however, that these organs play a part during the early development of sexual behaviour. The technique of 'masculinizing' female foetuses by hormonal injections into the pregnant mothers (Hamilton & Wolfe, 1938; Revesz, Chappel & Gaudry, 1960) provides a way of producing gross abnormalities of the vagina very early in life. The present study was designed to determine whether such 'masculinized' female rats would show normal sexual drive as measured by (1) the oestrous cycle, (2) a lordosis test, and (3) a test of copulation. METHOD AND RESULTS Animals. Three pregnant female rats were injected daily, from days 15–20 of pregnancy, with 0·5–1·0 mg. (in 0·2 ml. of sesame oil) of testosterone propionate. Eight of their