Social isolation induces sexually aggressive behaviour in male Wistar rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sexual violence, a pervasive global issue, significantly impacts individuals and societies, necessitating a deeper understanding of its underlying biological mechanisms. This study aimed to elucidate the role of stress-induced dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in sexual aggression in male Wistar rats. Employing a sexual aggression paradigm, we investigated the effects of social isolation on aggression, anxiety-like behaviour, and neurochemistry in virgin adult male Wistar rats.

Results

The results showed that social isolation significantly escalated aggressive behaviours and induced anxiety-like responses in male rats. The sexual aggression test revealed that socially isolated males exhibited heightened aggression towards non-receptiv

SUBMITTER: Ngala ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11866782 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature