ESTRADIOL INCREASES FEMALE SEXUAL INITIATION INDEPENDENT OF MALE RESPONSIVENESS IN RHESUS-MONKEYS

Citation
Jl. Zehr et al., ESTRADIOL INCREASES FEMALE SEXUAL INITIATION INDEPENDENT OF MALE RESPONSIVENESS IN RHESUS-MONKEYS, Hormones and behavior (Print), 33(2), 1998, pp. 95-103
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Behavioral Sciences","Endocrynology & Metabolism
ISSN journal
0018506X
Volume
33
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
95 - 103
Database
ISI
SICI code
0018-506X(1998)33:2<95:EIFSII>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Copulation and female initiation of sexual behavior vary across the ov arian cycle, suggesting that female hormonal condition influences fema le sexual motivation in rhesus monkeys. However, the effects of hormon es on female sexual motivation are difficult to identify because male behavior also varies with female hormonal condition. During the nonbre eding season, male rhesus monkeys are sexually unresponsive to females ; thus the effects of estradiol treatment on female sexual motivation can be examined independent of male behavior. This study administered estradiol to five ovariectomized females living in a large age-graded social group during the nonbreeding season. The behavior of these fema les with and without estradiol treatment was compared. Data were colle cted concurrently on five intact, noncycling, nonpregnant females. Est radiol treatment significantly increased sexual initiation by ovariect omized females toward males without any significant changes in male be havior. Estradiol-treated females also displayed greater sexual initia tion than nonpregnant, intact females. Both estrogen and progesterone were important predictors of sexual initiation in females, with proges terone having an inhibitory effect. Endogenous progesterone levels in females were negatively correlated with male contact behavior, suggest ing that female attractiveness is reduced by progesterone. This study provides further support for estrogen as the critical steroid increasi ng female sexual motivation in primates. (C) 1998 Academic Press.