FUNCTION OF INTROMISSIONS ON INTROMISSION-RETURN LATENCY OF FEMALE RATS DURING PACED SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR

The objectives of this study were to examine how multiple intromission s affect the temporal pattern of the female rat's copulatory behavior; in particular, her latency to return to the male following intromissi on (intromission-retum latency, IRL) and if different hormone replacem ent regimens affect the temporal aspects of female copulatory behavior . Repeated intromissions alone, without ejaculation, often resulted in prolonged IRLs equal to the postejaculatory refractory period (PER). The first prolonged IRL occurred most frequently between the 24th and 44th intromission. The similar pattern of IRLs around the PER and the prolonged IRLs may indicate that the mechanisms mediating the occurren ce of the prolonged IRL are similar to those for the PER. One possible function of the prolonged IRLs may be to facilitate the male's ejacul ation after the female has received enough vaginocervical stimulation for the induction of the progestational state of pregnancy. Finally, f emales receiving a single dose of 50 mu g estradiol benzoate (EB) foll owed by an injection of 0.5 mg progesterone (P) 48 h later showed a si gnificantly longer PER than those receiving 3 daily injections of 0.5 mu g EB followed by an injection of 0.5 mg P 24 h after the last EB in jection. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.