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Sex, Steroids, and Stimulant Sensitivity
Author(s) -
KUHN C. M.,
WALKER Q. D.,
KAPLAN K. A.,
LI S. T.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb03565.x
Subject(s) - stimulant , castration , medicine , endocrinology , testosterone (patch) , psychology , physiology , hormone
A bstract : The current study investigated ovarian modulation of the locomotor response to cocaine in rats. Ovariectomy in females lowered the response to cocaine (10 mg/kg ip), whereas castration did not change that of males. The locomotor responses of prepubertal males and females to cocaine were similar. However, the postpubertal sex difference resulted from a fall in cocaine‐stimulated locomotion in males rather than a rise in females. Neonatal testosterone treatment of female rat pups decreased the response to cocaine in adulthood. These findings suggest that both the activational and organizational effects of gonadal steroids contribute to the greater response of females to cocaine.