Effects of gender, gonadectomy and social status on attack directed towards female intruders by resident mice.
Small unisexed groups (triads) of either male of female Swiss strain mice attack lactating intruders introduced into their home-cages. Female residents are, however, generally much more aggressive towards such intruders than are males. Ovariectomy of female residents (on day 15 or day 50 of life) has little effect on such responses, but castration of male residents significantly increases their attack on lactating intruders to a level resembling that of females. The introduction of the lactating female into the home-cage of sham-operated or gonadectomized male or female residents also enhances intragroup fighting with males (irrespective of their endocrine status) being the more aggressive. Finally, the social status of the male alters the response towards lactating females. Dominants generally show higher levels of attack, an effect that can be augmented by castration.
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012930:Social Dominance
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones