Sexual receptivity

Pierce, A.A. and Ferkin, M.H. (2005) Re-feeding and the restoration of odor attractivity, odor preference, and sexual receptivity in food-deprived female meadow voles. Physiol. Behav. 84, 553-561. 

Which olfactory system mediates sexual behavior in mice has also been a matter of debate. Early studies (Thompson and Edwards 1972 Edwards and Burge 1973) suggested a role for the main olfactory system in the display of female sexual receptivity, since destructions of the MOE by intranasal infusion with a zinc sulfate solution (ZnS04) attenuated lordosis behavior in estrogen-progesterone-treated mice. However, the VNO may be also involved as a reduction in female sexual receptivity by VNO removal has been reported in various other rodent species (rats Rajendren,... 

In females, removal of the VNO clearly disrupted lordosis behavior in ovariec-tomized, hormonally primed, animals (Fig. 23.2). This is in line with results from other rodent species where a reduction in female sexual receptivity by VNO removal... 

Fig. 23.2 Effect of VNO or MOE lesion on female sexual receptivity in mice...

Rajendren, J.B., Dudley, C.A., and Moss, R.L. (1990) Role of the vomeronasal organ in the male-induced enhancement of sexual receptivity in female rats. Neuroendocrinology 52, 368-372. 

Thompson, M.L. and Edwards, D.A. (1972) Olfactory bulb removal impairs the hormonal induction of sexual receptivity in spayed female mice. Physiol. Behav. 8, 1141-1146. 

The voles used in these experiments were housed singly for three-four weeks before being used as a scent donor or subject. Meadow voles born and reared under a long photoperiod reach sexual maturity by 50 d old (Nadeau 1985), and are sexually receptive and readily mate with sexually receptive opposite-sex conspecifics (delBarco-Trillo and Ferkin 2004 Pierce, Ferkin and Williams 2005). Male and female subjects and scent donors were sexually naive and not familiar with one another. Female voles do not undergo estrous cycles, rather they are induced into estrous and ovulation (Keller 1985). 

Hudson, R., Gonzalez-Mariscal, G. and Beyer, C. (1990) Chin marking behavior, sexual receptivity, and pheromone emission in steroid-treated, ovariectomized rabbits. Hormones Behav. 24, 1-13. 

Williams J, Uphouse L. 1991. Vaginal cyclicity, sexual receptivity, and eating behavior of the female rat following treatment with chlordecone. Reprod Toxicol 5(1) 65-71... 

In rodents the most commonly studied female sexual behavior is the lordosis posture, in which the female remains immobile and concavely arches her back. Lordosis, usually in response to mounting, has been used as an index of female sexual receptivity. In addition, a variety of other measures such as elective proximity to a male have been used to index sexual proceptivity. Studies of these and related behaviors have shown that in rats ovarian secretions are essential for the expression of lordosis and can increase the expression of a variety of sociosexual behaviors (Pfaff, et al., 1994). Surgical removal of the ovary (ovariectomy) eliminates female sexual behavior in most rodents, and treatments with estrogen and progesterone can produce levels of sexual receptivity that closely resemble those seen in a gonadally-intact estrous female. 

Behavioral and emotional Nicotine has a number of behavioral and emotional effects. It increases locomotor activity, which is mediated by increased dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (Mirza 1996). Nicotine suppresses appetite and decreases weight gain in rats (Grunberg et al. 1986). Conversely, cessation of smoking causes increases in body weight. Nicotine increases sexual receptivity in female rats, but whether this occurs in humans has not been studied—or at least not formally (Fuxe et al. 1977). 

Etgen AM, Morales JC. 2002. Somatosensory stimuli evoke norepinephrine release in the anterior ventromedial hypothalamus of sexually receptive female rats. J Neuroendocri-nol 14(3) 213-218. 

The function of the flank gland of the golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, is not clear but it appears to be involved in signals of sexual and social status and familiarity of the male to the female. Sexually receptive females spend more time near flank scent marks of intact males than castrates, or clean controls. They also stay longer near marks from familiar males than novel males. Finally, these females spend more time near marks of dominant males (compared with subordinate males) (Montgomery-St. Laurent etal, 1988). 

Long-lasting and specific effects of early odor experience have not yet been reported for many mammal species. In one experiment, rat mothers that raised male pups had their nipples and vagina scented with citral. When tested at 100 days of age, these males ejaculated sooner with sexually receptive, citral-scented females than with controls. Conversely, the latency to ejaculation of males reared with saline-treated mothers was shorter in matings with normal females than with citral-scented ones (Pillion and Blass, 1986). 

Signoret, J. A. (1975). Influence of the sexual receptivity of a teaser ewe on the mating preference in the ram. Applied Animal Ethology 1,229-232. 

Sexual receptivity. The effects of THC on sexual behavior in female rats and its influence on steroid hormone receptors and neurotransmitters in the facilitation of sexual receptivity was examined. Results revealed that the facilitatory effect of THC was inhibited by antagonists to both progesterone and dopamine D(l) receptors. To test further the idea that progesterone receptors (PR) and/or dopamine receptors (D[1]R) in the hypothalamus were required for THC-facilitated sexual behavior in rodents, antisense, and sense oligonucleotides to PR and D(1)R were administered intra-cerebroventricularly into the third cerebral ventricle of ovariectomized, estradiol benzoate-primed rats. Progesterone- and THC-facilitated sexual behavior was inhibited in animals treated with antisense oligonucleotides to PR or to D(1)R. Antagonists to... 

O Malley. Progesterone receptor and dopamine receptors are required in CS418 Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol modulation of sexual receptivity in female rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2001 CS419... 

Females of the desert spider Agenelopsis aperta emit a volatile pheromone that attracts conspecihc males (Riechert and Singer, 1995). This pheromone was identified as 8-methyl-2-nonanone (1 Fig. 4.1), a previously unknown arthropod semio-chemical. It was found by headspace analysis and abdominal washings of females 2 weeks after their hnal molt, when they become sexually receptive it was absent in females of other age classes. The pheromone attracted males in a three-choice arena system at doses as low as 500 ng (Papke et al., 2001). Another female-specific ketone, 6-methyl-3-heptanone (2), was not attractive. Very low doses of 1 (10-9 mg/ml applied to a hlter paper placed in empty juvenile female webs) also induced courtship behavior in males (Papke et al., 2001). The normal behavioral sequence was followed, except for phases which required input from the female. The ED50 value (mean effective dose) of 1 was 5.5x 10-4 mg/ml hexane. In contrast, ketone 2 only induced a response in some males at unnaturally high concentrations... 

Grillou, H. (1973). A study of sexual receptivity in Blabera craniifer Burm. (Blattaria). Journal of Insect Physiology 19 173-193. 

Schal, C. and Chiang, A.-S. (1995). Hormonal control of sexual receptivity in cockroaches. Experientia 51 994-998. 

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