Genital responses in noncopulators and rats with lesions in the medical preoptic area or midthoracic spinal cord.
To determine whether genital dysfunction participates in the sexual inactivity of noncopulator and MPOA-lesioned rats, penile reflexes and spontaneous seminal emission (SSE) were investigated in such animals. The display of penile reflexes was either the same or enhanced in these animals, relative to controls. Noncopulators and MPOA-lesioned rats also did not differ from controls in SSE. Plasma testosterone levels showed no differences between noncopulators and sexually active controls but tended to be elevated in rats bearing MPOA lesions. Finally, SSE did not differ between rats with midthoracic spinal cord transections and controls, suggesting that SSE is not under supraspinal inhibition.
Department of Physiology, Stanford University, CA 94305.
M L
ML
Stefanick
J M
JM
Davidson
D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation; D004542:Ejaculation; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000502:physiology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone