ACTIONS OF SCIATIC-NERVE LIGATURE ON SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR OF SEXUALLY EXPERIENCED AND INEXPERIENCED MALE-RATS - EFFECTS OF FRONTAL POLE DECORTICATION

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.