A. Fernandezguasti et al., ACTIONS OF SCIATIC-NERVE LIGATURE ON SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR OF SEXUALLY EXPERIENCED AND INEXPERIENCED MALE-RATS - EFFECTS OF FRONTAL POLE DECORTICATION, Physiology & behavior, 55(3), 1994, pp. 577-581
Actions of sciatic nerve ligature on sexual behavior of sexually exper
ienced and inexperienced male rats: Effects of frontal pole decorticat
ion. PHYSIOL BEHAV 55(3) 577-581, 1994.-The action of the hyperalgesia
produced by the loose ligature of the sciatic nerve on the sexual beh
avior of two groups of sexually experienced and inexperienced male rat
s was studied. The putative changes in the behavior induced by this ma
nipulation were attempted to be counteracted by the removal of the ant
erior frontal cortex. Independently of the sexual experience, the liga
ture of the sciatic nerve did not modify any parameter of the sexual b
ehavior, except for a slight prolongation of the intromission latency.
Surprisingly, the removal of the cortical frontal pole resulted in dr
astic changes in the sexual behavior of sexually inexperienced male ra
ts such as an increase in the intromission and ejaculation latencies a
nd the postejaculatory interval. These changes were not observed in th
e sexually experienced group. Interestingly, the sciatic nerve ligatur
e prevented the changes in the copulatory behavior produced by the fro
ntal cortex removal. These results suggest that the hyperalgesia induc
ed by the sciatic nerve ligature was unable to alter the sexual behavi
or. By contrast, the frontal cortex removal produced important changes
in the sexual behavior that depend upon the previous sexual experienc
e. All results are discussed on the bases of the neural control underl
ying the possible relationships between algesia and male sexual behavi
or.