Neonatal androgen administration and aggression in the female golden hamster during interactions with males.

Abstract

SUMMARY Female golden hamsters received either 300 μg testosterone propionate in oil, or oil alone, on day 1 of life. As adults they were observed in interactions with intact males when (i) intact, (ii) after ovariectomy and (iii) after ovariectomy and treatment with 1 mg testosterone propionate/day. Intact control female hamsters showed normal behaviour for this species by exhibiting more aggression than their male partners. After ovariectomy and subsequent treatment with testosterone propionate the levels of aggression shown by the two sexes became equal. Whilst neonatally androgen-treated females were also more aggressive than the males with which they interacted, they differed from the control females in that their aggressiveness was significantly reduced by ovariectomy and then enhanced by subsequent androgen therapy. When intact and when receiving exogenous androgens, the neonatally androgenized females showed significantly more aggression than the control females.