Sex differences in the behavioral consequences of inescapable footshocks depend on time since shock

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In two experiments, the effects of inescapable shock on subsequent shuttle-box escape performance were studied in male and female rats. Effects of treatment with short-duration shocks (2 s) were studied after 1- and 24-hour intervals (Experiment 1), and effects of long-duration shocks (6 s) were studied after 24- and 72-hour intervals (Experiment 2). Experience with inescapable shock resulted in a serious disruption of escape performance in both males and females. A large increment in escape latencies was found both during fixed ratio 1 and fixed ratio 2 escape training; however, effects of inescapable shock were more pronounced in males than in females. In Experiment 1, sex differences were most obvious after the short 1-hour interval whereas, in Experiment 2, sex differences were only present after 24 hours and not after 72 hours. Shuttle activity during 2-min adaptation prior to shock-escape training was reduced in both males and females treated with IS, and this effect was somewhat stronger in males than in females. The data of these experiments show that male rats are more sensitive to the consequences of exposure to inescapable aversive stimulation than female rats. It is proposed that the time-dependency of the sex differences in behavioral consequences of treatment with inescapable shock may be related to sex differences in transient neurochemical or hormonal changes induced by inescapable shock.