Effects of neonatal androgens on open-field behavior and maze learning in the prepubescent and adult rat

It was concluded that neonatal androgens can affect open-field behavior and maze performance and argued that these sexually dimorphic behaviors probably do not require circulating androgens for their expression.

Abstract

In two experiments open-field behavior of female rats injected neonatally with testosterone propionate was compared to that of normal, oil-injected male and female littermates. In both Experiment 1 (n = 54) and Experiment II (n = 47), the treated females behaved like normal males at 30 days of age (prepubesence), showing significantly lower ambulation scores than the normal females. A similar but statistically nonsignificant effect was observed in the second test conducted at 70 days of age (adulthood). In Experiment 2, at both 30 and 70 days of age, normal females defecated significantly less often than either the males or the treated females. The maze performance of animals from Experiment 2 was also studied. Ninety-day old testosterone-treated females learned a Lashley III maze with significantly fewer errors and retracings than did normal females; in this respect the treated females resembled the normal males. It was concluded that neonatal androgens can affect open-field behavior and maze performance and argued that these sexually dimorphic behaviors probably do not require circulating androgens for their expression.