Behavioural Correlates of the Oestrous Cycle in the Rat

Burke, Ailbhe; Broadhurst, P. L.

doi:10.1038/209223a0

Cited by 60 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Although barely significan t, the activity variation over the five phases was similar to that reported by Burke & Broadhurst (1966). Secondly, on each day the mean score for the EE and E rats combined was greater than the mean score for the D rats combined (Table 1).…”

supporting

confidence: 59%

“…Gray & Levine (1964) reported that rats in an induced estrus condition were more active and tended to defecate less in an open fjeld. Burke & Broadhurst (1966) obtained similar, although less dear-cut, results using naturally occurring estrus. Although an inverse relation between fear level (in and out of estrus) and activity was preserved, Lester's (1968) hypothesis could still account for the results by postulating that the rats were too anxious in general.…”

supporting

confidence: 59%

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Fear level and rats’ open-field activity and defecation

Aitken

1970

Psychon Sci

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supporting

confidence: 59%

supporting

confidence: 59%

Fear level and rats’ open-field activity and defecation

Aitken

1970

Psychon Sci

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“…Sex difference in the defensive behavior has been noted, with a greater defensiveness for females toward a potential threat such as cat odor, as opposed to the actual presence of a cat [4]. When assessed by open field tests, emotionality is reduced in female rats in estrus [7]. Estrogen enhanced emotionality in female mice in elevated maze tests and induced a high level of grooming through induction of the progesterone receptor [18].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

Kondo

Sakuma

2005

JJP

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Partner preference and paced mating tests were accomplished in ovariectomized female rats 10 following bilateral radiofrequency lesions in the medial amygdala. Open field behavior and passive avoidance learning were also examined to investigate the underlying behavioral mechanism. Partner preference was determined in a chamber located between castrated and sexually active males. Airborne olfactory cues were presented to the female through small holes on the partition. The lesion diminished preference for the odor of sexually active males over that of castrated males, even after injection with 15 high-dose of estrogen. On the other hand, in a paced mating test, the lesioned females without estrogen treatment showed a significantly shorter latency for entering the male's compartment in a two-compartment apparatus, which allowed the females, but not the males, to cross the barrier through a narrow opening at the bottom. However, administration of estrogen and progesterone reduced the effect. The lesion had no effect on emotionality or exploratory behavior in an open field test, but impaired passive avoidance learning 20 capability. We suggest that a male poses an inherent threat to a female. The seemingly incompatible results of partner preference and paced mating tests can be compromised if the male is inherently aversive to the female; this emotional response can be removed by the medial amygdala lesion. [The Japanese Journal of Physiology 55(6), 2005, in press] Key words: female sexual behavior, partner preference, paced mating, medial amygdala, estrogen. 25In the wild rat, sexual interactions are initiated and paced by females in estrus through patterns of approach toward and withdrawal from sexually active males [15]. Although some components of female sexual behavior imply the appetitive aspect, the initiative by females, however, is obscured by male active pursuit when tested in ordinary laboratory situation such as in an aquarium. To solve this problem, several researchers are directing attention to paced mating situation, mimicking wild environment [14, 38]. In the 30 paced mating, female rats can stay a place inaccessible for males and visit a compartment for mating with stimulus males. The situation allows females to regulate their own copulatory pacing without disturbance by males. Pacing behavior, then, is thought to reflect their sexual motivation.Olfactory preference toward sexually active males is also affected by female sexual motivation. When presented odors of sexually active and inactive males, sexually motivated females spend longer time to 35 explore odors from sexually active males. This test also measures female sexual motivation without influence by stimulus male behavior [43].Since the body of our knowledge on neural circuits for female sexual behavior has been accumulated by studying lordosis, a reflexive component of female rat sexual behavior, some researchers start on reevaluation of the regulatory mechanisms of female sexual behavior by means of these test paradigms [16, 4...

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“…A troublesome problem arises when one tests open-field behavior of female rats. Researchers have found that female rats show increased ambulation and decreased defecation at estrus (Burke & Broadhurst, 1966;Aitken, 1970). Despite such evidence, however, many studies using OFT have not controlled the estrus effect.…”

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confidence: 95%

Mapping Open-Field Behavior in Rats: Applicability Across Sexes

Tachibana

1985

The Journal of Psychology

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Behavioural Correlates of the Oestrous Cycle in the Rat

Cited by 60 publications

References 10 publications

Fear level and rats’ open-field activity and defecation

Fear level and rats’ open-field activity and defecation

The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

Mapping Open-Field Behavior in Rats: Applicability Across Sexes

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