cron-web.org

[A1CR]

The female http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow_vole appears
to have a
diminshed sexual hormone status and activity. The behavior was
characterized by the the term "proceptivity", which may
represent "sexual
proceptivity (solicitations, hops and darts, ear wiggling,
pacing) and
receptivity (lordosis)."


Pierce AA, Iwueke I, Ferkin MH.
Food deprivation and the role of estradiol in mediating
sexual behaviors in
meadow voles.
Physiol Behav. 2006 Nov 14; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 17112551

Female mammals are particularly sensitive to changes in food
availability.
The mechanisms that affect sexual behavior and food intake
are closely
related to one another; chief among the mechanisms that
control sexual
behaviors in females is estradiol. In order to understand
how food
deprivation results in inhibition of sexual behavior
(attractivity,
proceptivity, and receptivity), we measured the effects of
food deprivation
on circulating concentrations of estradiol. We also
determined whether
estradiol treatment was sufficient to restore sexual
behaviors in
food-deprived female meadow voles. We found that estradiol
titers of
food-deprived female voles are significantly lower than
those of ad lib-fed
female voles. Further, we found that estradiol treatment was
sufficient to
restore proceptivity and receptivity in food-deprived,
ovariectomized female
voles. However, estradiol treatment was not able to overcome
the food
deprivation-induced inhibition of attractivity. Thus,
decreases in estradiol
titer of food-deprived female voles may be related to the
suppression of
their proceptive and receptive behaviors, and may be a
mechanism that allows
females to avoid mating when conditions are not propitious
for their
survival and that of their offspring.Female mammals are
particularly
sensitive to changes in food availability. The mechanisms
that affect sexual
behavior and food intake are closely related to one another;
chief among the
mechanisms that control sexual behaviors in females is
estradiol. In order
to understand how food deprivation results in inhibition of
sexual behavior
(attractivity, proceptivity, and receptivity), we measured
the effects of
food deprivation on circulating concentrations of estradiol.
We also
determined whether estradiol treatment was sufficient to
restore sexual
behaviors in food-deprived female meadow voles. We found
that estradiol
titers of food-deprived female voles are significantly lower
than those of
ad lib-fed female voles. Further, we found that estradiol
treatment was
sufficient to restore proceptivity and receptivity in
food-deprived,
ovariectomized female voles. However, estradiol treatment
was not able to
overcome the food deprivation-induced inhibition of
attractivity. Thus,
decreases in estradiol titer of food-deprived female voles
may be related to
the suppression of their proceptive and receptive behaviors,
and may be a
mechanism that allows females to avoid mating when
conditions are not
propitious for their survival and that of their offspring.