Dihydrotestosterone activates sexual behavior in adult male hamsters but not in juveniles.

Facilitation of Male Sexual Behavior in Syrian Hamsters by the Combined Action of Dihydrotestosterone and Testosterone

BACKGROUND Testosterone (T) controls male Syrian hamster sexual behavior, however, neither of T's primary metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E(2)), even in highly supraphysiological doses, fully restores sexual behavior in castrated hamsters. DHT and T apparently interact with androgen receptors differentially to control male sexual behavior (MSB), but whether these two hormo...

Puberty and shifting values (commentary on Bell et al.).

The article by Bell, De Lorme, Figueira, Kashy and Sisk describes two very interesting experiments demonstrating that during sexual maturation in the male hamster, stimuli that were previously unrewarding acquire rewarding properties, independent of experience with the stimuli. The idea that puberty is a time of dramatic changes in the brain is not new, ask any parent. What is new here is the c...

Pheromones elicit equivalent levels of Fos-immunoreactivity in prepubertal and adult male Syrian hamsters.

Male reproductive behavior in the Syrian hamster is dependent on both pheromones from the female and the presence of gonadal steroid hormones. The pheromones are contained within female hamster vaginal secretions (FHVS) and stimulate anogenital investigation and mounting by the male. Administration of testosterone to castrated male hamsters facilitates anogenital investigation, mounts, and intr...

Sexual behavior induction of c-Fos in the nucleus accumbens and amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activity are sensitized by previous sexual experience in female Syrian hamsters.

Dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens can be activated by drugs, stress, or motivated behaviors, and repeated exposure to these stimuli can sensitize this dopamine response. The objectives of this study were to determine whether female sexual behavior activates nucleus accumbens neurons and whether past sexual experience cross-sensitizes neuronal responses in the nucleus accumbens to a...

The Effects of Lead Acetate on Sexual Behavior and the Level of Testosterone in Adult Male Rats