TY - JOUR
T1 - Cortisol Facilitates Induction of Sexual Behavior in the Female Musk Shrew (Suncus murinus)
AU - Schiml, Patricia A.
AU - Rissman, Emilie F.
PY - 1999/2/1
Y1 - 1999/2/1
N2 - The role of cortisol in sexual behavior in the female musk shrew ( Suncus murinus ) was examined. High levels of cortisol were associated with sexual receptivity, as indicated by species-typical tail-wagging behavior, during brief(15-min) mating tests. When cortisol production was blocked by metyrapone, an 11-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, females exhibited reduced sexual behavior relative to controls, an effect that was reversed with acute cortisol replacement. These results indicate that cortisol facilitates, rather than inhibits, sexual behavior in this species and expands the comparative understanding of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) effects on reproduction.
AB - The role of cortisol in sexual behavior in the female musk shrew ( Suncus murinus ) was examined. High levels of cortisol were associated with sexual receptivity, as indicated by species-typical tail-wagging behavior, during brief(15-min) mating tests. When cortisol production was blocked by metyrapone, an 11-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, females exhibited reduced sexual behavior relative to controls, an effect that was reversed with acute cortisol replacement. These results indicate that cortisol facilitates, rather than inhibits, sexual behavior in this species and expands the comparative understanding of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) effects on reproduction.
UR - https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/psychology/218
U2 - 10.1037//0735-7044.113.1.166
DO - 10.1037//0735-7044.113.1.166
M3 - Article
VL - 113
JO - Behavioral Neuroscience
JF - Behavioral Neuroscience
ER -