Facilitation of female sexual behavior in male rats by septal lesions: an interaction with estrogen.

Although destruction of the septal region markedly facilitates the lordosis behavior of female rats in response to estrogen priming, comparable lesions were found to be ineffective in facilitating the lordotic behavior of estrogen primed male rats. Neither the age at the time of septal destruction nor castration influenced the lordosis behavior of males. However, if prepubertal castrated males were given subcutaneous ovarian grafts or injected daily with 2 μgm estradiol benzoate (EB) during the 30 day period following septal destruction, a prolonged facilitation of the activational effects of EB on lordosis behavior was observed. Male rats subjected to septal destruction alone, chronic exposure to EB alone, exposure to ovarian grafts for 30 days prior to septal destruction, or chronic treatment with EB started 6 mo after septal lesioning, failed to show an increase in behavioral responsiveness to estrogen. Thus, in order for septal lesions to facilitate lordosis behavior of male rats, exposure to EB or ovarian tissue must occur within an apparent critical period following septal destruction. Adult male rats were found to be more responsive to this interaction of septal lesions and EB exposure than pubertal animals. It is suggested that the prolonged facilitation of lordosis behavior which follows septal destruction and estrogen exposure in the male rat may be due to hormonal modifications of the recovery process following brain damage.