The behavioral thresholds of testosterone in castrated male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

To determine the lowest doses of testosterone propionate (TP) that cause clearcut behavioral changes in castrated male rhesus monkeys (behavioral thresholds), observations were made on eight males during successive 4-week treatment periods while they received daily doses of TP ranging from 25 micrograms to 12.8 mg subcutaneously. Males were tested with each of the same four ovariectomized females (32 pairs, 1408 one-hour behavior tests). Two females were untreated and the other two received either 5 or 15 micrograms estradiol benzoate sc per day. TP injections were given at 1600 hr, and plasma samples were obtained at 0800 hr (352 samples). Individual males had widely different behavioral thresholds from 50 micrograms up to 3.2 mg TP per day. Males showed two types of response: A, a graded increase in ejaculatory activity as plasma testosterone values increased, and B, an all-or-none type of response in which there were no further increases in ejaculation with increasing plasma levels once the behavioral threshold had been reached. At levels below the physiological range, small changes in plasma testosterone were associated with marked changes in behavior. The female partner exerted a pronounced effect upon the responses of males to TP treatment.