PMID: 3760746Sep 1, 1986Paper

Social behaviour and testicular activity of juvenile rats

The Journal of Endocrinology
G T TaylorJ Royalty

Abstract

The juvenile stage of ontogeny is often characterized as a time of inactivity and quiescence for the immature reproductive system. The principle social behaviour by juveniles of many mammalian species is a rough-and-tumble activity known as play-fighting. An experiment is reported in which play-fighting by male rats was observed after various manipulations of gonadal steroids. Rats were housed in groups and castrated either on day 1 or day 10, times which are respectively during and after the sensitive period for androgen-induced organization of neural tissues in rats. Animals were injected with either 40 micrograms testosterone propionate or vehicle between 21 and 45 days of age, and play-fighting with unoperated, unfamiliar rats was examined. Castration on days 1 and 10 suppressed play-fighting. The behaviours remained suppressed in rats castrated on day 1 and injected with testosterone propionate, but testosterone propionate restored play-fighting to near-normal levels until 35 days of age in rats castrated on day 10. Moreover, gonadally intact juvenile males exposed to the androgen antagonist flutamide play-fought less than intact control males, although their social activity increased appreciably after day 35. It is conclu...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 21, 2008·Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review·Dennis D Embry, Anthony Biglan
May 1, 1997·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·L J VanderschurenJ M Van Ree
Oct 15, 2013·European Eating Disorders Review : the Journal of the Eating Disorders Association·Jessica H BakerKelly L Klump

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