Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Female Copulatory Behaviour in Male and Androgenized Female Rats after Oestrogen/Amine Depletor Treatment

Nature volume 217, pages 683–684 (1968)Cite this article

Abstract

FEMALE sexual behaviour patterns are infrequent in adult castrated male rats unless very large doses of ovarian hormones are given1,2. The age at which the rats are castrated is important3–5. Male rats castrated later than 10 days of age and treated as adults with oestrogen in combination with progesterone displayed little feminine behaviour, but when castrated 1–5 days after birth the same hormone treatment caused more distinct female mating behaviour. Absence of androgen a short time after birth leads to behavioural feminization of the male rat.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ball, J., J. Comp. Psychol., 28, 273 (1939).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Beach, F. A., Endocrinology, 29, 409 (1941).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Grady, K. L., and Phoenix, C. H., Amer. Zool., 3, 482 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Young, W. C., Goy, R. W., and Phoenix, C. H., Science, 143, 212 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Feder, H. H., and Whalen, R. E., Science, 147, 306 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Harris, G. W., and Levine, S., J. Physiol., 163, 42P (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Barraclough, C. A., and Gorski, R. A., J. Endocrinol., 25, 175 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Meyerson, B. J., Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn., 150, 4 (1964).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Meyerson, B. J., Acta Physiol. Scand., 63, suppl. 248 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Meyerson, B. J., Acta Physiol. Scand., 67, 411 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Meyerson, B. J., Psychopharmacologia, 6, 210 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, University of Uppsala, Sweden

    BENGT J. MEYERSON

Authors
  1. BENGT J. MEYERSON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MEYERSON, B. Female Copulatory Behaviour in Male and Androgenized Female Rats after Oestrogen/Amine Depletor Treatment. Nature 217, 683–684 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/217683b0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/217683b0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing