Hypophysectomy facilitates sexual behavior in female rats

Lordosis was elecited in 49% of 87 hormonally untreated, hypophysectomized-ovariectomized (hypox-ovx) female rats in response to palpation of the flanks and perineum (vaginal stimulation was not applied). By contrast, only 12% of 113 hormonally untreated ovariectomized (ovx) rats showed lordosis in response to such stimulation. Subsequently, hypox-ovx and ovx-only rats were given daily injections of 1 mug/kg estradiol benzoate (EB) and tested for sexual receptivity with males. Teh estrogen-treated hypox-ovx females became sexually receptive significantly earlier, and exhibited higher lordosis quotients and more soliciting behavior, than the estrogen-treated ovx-only rats. The increased sexual responsiveness in the hypox-ovx rats could be due to increased LRH activity. To test this, we treated hypox-ovx rats with dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHT-P), which suppresses plasma LH levels but is relatively ineffective in inducing sexual receptivity, and found a significant depression of lordosis responsiveness. These experiments suggest that hypox-ovx females show a heightened responsiveness to hormonal and/or sensory factors that induce a lordosis response, possibly because of increased LRH activity.