Intracerebroventricular infusion of the galanin antagonist M40 attenuates heterosexual partner preference in ferrets

Gonadectomized, estradiol-treated male and female ferrets (Mustela furo) re ceived intracerebroventricular (icv) infusions of 4 doses of the galanin re ceptor antagonist M40 or galanin and were allowed to approach breeding male or female ferrets that were placed behind wire mesh barriers in the goal b oxes of a T maze. After icy infusion of saline, subjects strongly preferred to approach stimulus ferrets of the opposite sex. Male and female subjects approached these preferred stimulus animals on significantly fewer trials after icy infusion of the 2 highest doses of M40, whereas this drug failed to affect males' coital behavior in separate tests with an estrous female. Endogenous galanin may facilitate neural reward mechanisms that control het erosexual partner preference in both sexes.