Male Hatano low-avoidance rats show more active sexual behavior with lower plasma testosterone than high-avoidance rats

Airi NAKAYAMA; Hasuka OKAWA; Meihua ZHENG; Shaoxia PU; Gen WATANABE; Ryo OHTA; Maiko KAWAGUCHI

doi:10.1292/jvms.17-0668

Physiology

Male Hatano low-avoidance rats show more active sexual behavior with lower plasma testosterone than high-avoidance rats

Airi NAKAYAMA, Hasuka OKAWA, Meihua ZHENG, Shaoxia PU, Gen WATANABE, Ryo OHTA, Maiko KAWAGUCHI

Author information

Airi NAKAYAMA
Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
Hasuka OKAWA
Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
Meihua ZHENG
Department of Basic Veterinary Science, United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagide, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
Shaoxia PU
Department of Basic Veterinary Science, United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagide, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
Gen WATANABE
Department of Basic Veterinary Science, United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagide, Gifu-shi, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
Basic Animal Medicine, Cooperative Division of Veterinary Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
Ryo OHTA
Hatano Research Institute, Food and Drug Safety Center, 729-5 Ochiai, Hadano-shi, Kanagawa 257-8523, Japan
Maiko KAWAGUCHI
Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan

Keywords: Hatano rat, male sexual behavior, testosterone

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2018 Volume 80 Issue 7 Pages 1179-1182

DOI https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.17-0668

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Abstract

Two inbred strains of Sprague-Dawley rats, known as the Hatano high- and low-avoidance animals (HAA and LAA respectively), have been selectively bred for high versus low rates of avoidance responses in a shuttle-box avoidance task. To investigate differences in the sexual behavior of Hatano rats, male HAA, LAA and SD rats were tested from 12 to 15 weeks of age. LAA rats exhibited more rapid and frequent sexual behavior than HAA or SD rats, and such differences increased with repeated sexual experience. Plasma testosterone levels tended to be lower in LAA rats than in HAA or SD rats, suggesting that active sexual behavior in LAA rats is not related to these levels. Strain differences in mating behavior between HAA and LAA rats may be caused by emotional responses to novelty.

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