The postpubertal change in the playful defense of male rats depends upon neonatal exposure to gonadal hormones
Abstract
The pattern of playful defense used during play fighting by male rats (Rattus norvegicus) castrated at birth was compared to that of sham-operated and untreated controls during the juvenile phase and after puberty. The neonatal castrates failed to exhibit the age-related changes in playful defense present in intact male rats of the same age. Following puberty, control rats, but not neonatal castrates, switched from juvenile to more adult-typical defensive tactics. That the neonatal castrations were effective was independently shown by the animals' failure to exhibit the asymmetries in weight and play behavior indicative of dominance-subordinance relationships present in normal adult males. A previous study found that castration following weaning did not prevent the pubertal change in playful defense, but did block the formation of dominance-subordinance relationships. Therefore, it appears that the age-related shift in playful defense is a feature of the development of play fighting in males that is likely preprogrammed by gonadal hormone exposure in the perinatal period.
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AR is critical in the development of social play behavior.
“As AR is critical in the development of social play behavior, 15,16,48 a reduction in AR expression during development could also contribute to the lasting decrease in juvenile social play behavior in males.”
From Neonatal MeCP2 is important for the organization of sex differences in vasopressin expression (2012) · cites this paper as [16]
Juvenile male rats play at higher frequencies than females, and this sex difference is organized by testosterone action within the developing male amygdala.
“Juvenile male rats play at higher frequencies than females, and this sex difference is organized by testosterone action within the developing male amygdala.15,16”
From Neonatal MeCP2 is important for the organization of sex differences in vasopressin expression (2012) · cites this paper as [16]
The age-related change in the type of defense used depends on the presence of neonatal androgens; castration of males at birth but not after weaning blocks this shift in playful defense.
“This age related change in the type of defense used has been shown to depend on the presence of neonatal androgens; castration of males at birth (Smith, Forgie, & Pellis, 1997), but not after weaning (Smith et al., 1996) blocks this shift in playful defense.”
From Play fighting in androgen-insensitivetfm rats: Evidence that androgen receptors are necessary for the development of adult playful attack and defense (2006) · cites this paper as Smith, Forgie, & Pellis, 1997
Play fighting is a nonsexual behavior that is complex and contains some traits which are male typical and some which are female typical.
“Nonetheless, play fighting is a nonsexual behavior that is complex and contains some traits which are male typical and some which are female typical (Pellis et al., 1994;Smith et al., 1997Smith et al., , 1998))”
From Play fighting in androgen-insensitivetfm rats: Evidence that androgen receptors are necessary for the development of adult playful attack and defense (2006) · cites this paper as Smith et al., 1997
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References 39 · Cited by 23
- Authors
- Smith, L. K., Forgie, M. L., & Pellis, S. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Lethbridge (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Pellis, Sergio M
- ORCID
- Pellis, Sergio M
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1997-12
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 151-155
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2037574889
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Lethbridge
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Keywords
- play fighting, male rats, neonatal castration, gonadal hormones, puberty, perinatal hormone exposure, social behavior development, age-related behavioral changes
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Aging, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Body Weight, Dominance-Subordination, Male, Orchiectomy, Play and Playthings, Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Rats
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