Neural correlates of frog calling. Masculinization by androgens

Neural correlates of mating calling can be recorded from isolated brainstems of male, Northern leopard frogs after the circuits for this behavior have been triggered by electrical stimulation of the preoptic area. Correlates can be evoked reliably and by a stimulus of low amplitude. However, such correlates can be evoked only rarely from female brainstems, and then only by a much larger stimulus. The sensitivity to triggering in female brainstems can be masculinized by previous treatment of the intact frog with testosterone propionate or dihydrotestosterone, but not by estradiol benzoate. This suggests that the action of the androgens is direct and does not require aromatization to estrogens. Comparisons with other studies suggest that the androgen effect may be mainly on posterior parts of the calling circuits (i.e., call pattern generator or motoneurons), rather than on the preoptic area trigger of the generator.