| Abstract No.: | A-G1185 |
| Country: | Canada |
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| Title: | EARLY ANOGENITAL ANESTHESIA ALTERS THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF FEMALE RATS. |
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| Authors/Affiliations: | 1 Mayte Parada*; 2 Douglas A. Monks; 1 James G. Pfaus;
1 Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada; 2 University of Toronto at Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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| Content: | Objectives: Early maternal care is important for both neural and behavioural development in the rat. The amount of licking received from the mother plays a particularly important role in brain development, sexual function, and reproductive strategies of both male and female offspring. In the present study, we investigated the effects of early application of the topical anesthetic agent lidocaine to the anogenital region of female pups on their expression of sexual behavior as adults. Materials and Methods: Lidocaine hydrochloride (10%) or saline was applied to the anogenital region of female pups on post-natal day 0 (PND 0). In adulthood (60 days of age), the females were given their first sexual experience with sexually vigorous males in a female-controlled paced-mating chamber. Results: Females that had been treated with lidocaine showed reduced contact-return latencies following mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations by the males, relative to the saline-treated controls. However, no differences in the frequency or latency of other female proceptive or receptive behaviours were found. Conclusion: These data suggest that early anogenital stimulation is necessary for the crystallization of pacing behavior, which affects both reproduction and reward by altering the amount and duration of vaginocervical stimulation received by the female.
Supported by NSERC (DAM, JGP)
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