EDRI Federal Project Inventory:
Biopsychology of Female Sexual Behavior
- Sponsor Organization: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- Project Title: BIOPSYCHOLOGY OF FEMALE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
- Project Focus: HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS
- Description: The goal of this research is to study the regulation by the nervous
system of thefemale sexual behavior of an animal that displays sexual
receptivity at all times of thecycle and year, the female musk shrew.
Musk shrews are primitive mammals fromtropical and subtropical areas
of Southeastern Asia. Reproduction is not cyclic, butoccurs year round
whenever local conditions are favorable. Female musk shrewsmaintain
high levels of serum testosterone. Experiments are designed to test
the ideathat conversion of testosterone to estrogen in certain parts
of the brain are critical forthe activation of female sexual behavior.
In musk shrews mating occurs whenestrogen levels are low and
testosterone concentrations are high. The conversion oftestosterone
to estrogen to activate sexual behavior is better than maintaining
highlevels of estrogen since estrogen can act as a neurotoxin.
Androgens have beenimplicated in the expression of female sexual
behavior in other animals so thesestudies may shed light on neural
regulation of female sexual behavior in other femaleanimals.
- References:
- Category: MODELS
- Subcategory: BASIC RESEARCH
- Keywords for Experimental System/Species: MAMMALIAN, IN VIVO, LABORATORY STUDIES
- Keywords for Experimental Endpoints: NEUROLOGICAL, REPRODUCTIVE, HORMONE MEASURES, SEX STEROIDS, PEPTIDE
HORMONES,PHYSIOLOGY, BREEDING BEHAVIOR, PUBERTY, HORMONE RECEPTORS
- Chemical Agents: Sex Steroids
- Performing Institution: University of Virginia
- Contact: Emilie F Rissman, Post Office Box 9003, Charlottesville, VA 22906-
9003 804 924-0311
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