Peri-pubertal exposure to testicular hormones organizes response to novel environments and social behaviour in adult male rats.

ABSTRACT: Previous research has shown that exposure to testicular hormones during the peri-pubertal period of life has long-term, organizational effects on adult sexual behaviour and underlying neural mechanisms in laboratory rodents. However, the organizational effects of peri-pubertal testicular hormones on other aspects of behaviour and brain function are less well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of manipulating peri-pubertal testicular hormone exposure on later behavioural responses to novel environments and on hormone receptors in various brain regions that are involved in response to novelty. Male rodents generally spend less time in the exposed areas of novel environments than females, and this sex difference emerges during the peri-pubertal period. Male Lister-hooded rats (Ratt

SUBMITTER: Brown GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4550464 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature