[Maturation of sexual behavior in laboratory male mice: a role of genotype].
Sexual behaviour and testosterone output in response to a receptive female were investigated in male mice of three inbred strains BALB/cLac, CBA/Lac and PT at puberty (45 days of age) and in adulthood (90 days of age). The animals were exposed for 10 min to a receptive female separated by a plastic grill, which would not allow contact between male and female. Male and female behaviour was recorded by measuring the time the male or female spent at the grill and the number of approaches to it (sexual motivation). The grill was then removed and the number of mounts and chemoinvestigatory behavior towards a female (nasal and anogenital sniffing) was recorded for each male. An increase in serum concentration and testicular content of testosterone was used as an endocrine index of the sensitivity to female pheromones. It has been shown the significant genotype and developmental effects on sexual behaviour and the hormonal response to sexual stimuli. The pubertal BALB/cLac males were characterised by the adult pattern of sexual motivation, chemoinvestigatory behaviour and the evident testosterone respond to a female. Males of the strain PT showed the lowest sexual motivation, chemoinvestigatory behavior towards a receptive female and no testosterone responses at both ages. This is a very different situation with the CBA/Lac's who showed the developmental increase in the sexual motivation, sniffing behaviour and the endocrine reflex, and the highest level of sexual behaviour but the moderate testosterone respond to a female at adulthood. The data obtained suggest genotype related asynchrony in maturation of the olfactory system, pituitary-gonadal axis and neural circuits of sexual behavior, and their independent genetic control. So, the set of mice strains investigated represents a useful tool for genetic and endocrine study of sexual behavior and the chemosensory control of testicular steroidogenesis.
Osadchuk
L V
LV
Salomacheva
I N
IN
Bragin
A V
AV
Osadchuk
A V
AV
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone