Chronic maintenance of rat sperm reserves into old age by previous sexual contact.
Extensive copulatory experiences at a younger age provoked chronic changes in the reproductive physiology of old male rats. Continuous access to females was not necessary, sperm numbers were elevated in the 22-month-old males 7 months after a final sexual interaction.
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology