EFFECTS OF EXOGENOUS ANDROGEN ON SEXUALLY RESPONSIVE AND UNRESPONSIVE MALE RATS1

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Abstract
A certain proportion of any group of male rats will fail to initiate sexual behavior when tested with receptive females. These males have been termed “non-copulators.” In the present study the sexual responsiveness of castrated “copulator” and “non-copulator” male rats to increasing levels of exogenous testosterone propionate was tested. Hormone doses ranged from 0 ¼g to 200 ¼g/100 gm. body weight. All “copulator” males copulated and ejaculated before or at the 90 ¼g androgen level. Only one of the six “non-copulator” males initiated mating during the experiment, and none ejaculated. These data were interpreted to mean that “copulator” and “non-copulator” male rats differ in their ability to make use of circulating androgen. Additional data indicated that sexual responsiveness is directly related to androgen level, and that the ejaculatory process is minimally related to the hormone dose.