Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Effects of exercise on male copulatory behavior after beta-adrenoreceptor blockade
Nathaniel J Thom1, Philip V Holmes, Rod K Dishman
1Department of Kinesiology, The University of Georgia, USA. njthom@uga.edu
Unlabelled:
Chronic activity-wheel running enhances male copulation and is associated with brain noradrenergic adaptations that may be modulated by the neuropeptide galanin (GAL). When injected into the medial pre-optic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus, norepinephrine facilitates, and the beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol inhibits, male copulation. The present experiment tested whether chronic exercise mitigates copulatory decrements induced by adrenergic blockade in the MPOA. It was hypothesized that 3 weeks of activity-wheel running would (1) reverse deficits in male copulatory performance and (2) increase GAL mRNA in the MPOA after beta-adrenoreceptor blockade with propranolol.
Materials And Methods:
Long-Evans male rats were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: sedentary/propranolol, activity-wheel/propranolol, and home-cage control. Animals were chronically administered propranolol in saline vehicle (6 microm/day) via an osmotic mini-pump connected to a cannula implanted into the third ventricle. After 3 weeks of activity-wheel running, rats underwent copulatory testing. After rapid decapitation 24h later, rat brains were analyzed utilizing in situ hybridization histochemistry for GAL mRNA in the MPOA.
Results:
Chronic exercise mitigated reductions in the percentage of males that intromitted and ejaculated after propranolol treatment, but there was no effect of exercise on GAL mRNA.
Conclusion:
The findings are consistent with noradrenergic adaptations in the MPOA that facilitate male copulation after wheel running independently of GAL mRNA expression.
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