title: Changes of heart rate during sexual behavior in the female rat.
abstract: The authors studied the physiological and behavioral responses during sexual behavior in female rats. For this purpose, electrocardiographs were recoded from conscious and unrestrained females using a radiotelemetry system. Heart rate during sexual behavior rose sharply following the introduction of a sexually active male, displayed a peak level of 425 bpm during male ejaculation, and then rapidly decreased. This pattern of heart rate in females before and after receiving ejaculation was similar to that in males before and after ejaculation. In the rate of decrease in heart rate, however, there was a significant difference between females and males. The present study is the first to show changes of heart rate during sexual behavior in female rats.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Misao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wato
authors.forename: Toru R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013686:Telemetry