Experiential and strain determinants of the estrogen-progesterone induction of sexual receptivity in spayed female mice

Abstract

The present paper reports the results of two separate studies concerned with the hormonal induction of sexual receptivity in female mice. The first study presents base line data for the estrogen-progesterone induction of receptivity in ovariectomized females of both the C57 B1 6 strain and the Swiss-Webster strain. C57 females were found to be significantly more responsive to exogenous treatment with ovarian hormones with respect to the display of sexual receptivity than Swiss-Webster females. The second experiment sought to determine the possible experiential as well as hormonal contributions to the progressive development of receptivity in females of the Swiss-Webster strain following weekly administration of ovarian hormones. It was found that both repeated priming with estradiol benzoate and progesterone, and repeated testing experience are required for the development of maximal levels of receptivity in this strain. Further, there was evidence suggesting that testing experience gained in the absence of hormone priming could facilitate the later induction of receptivity.