Temporal relationships between shock treatment and intermale fighting behaviour in laboratory mice. Effects of modifying testicular and adrenal functions

• Published in: Behavioural processes 1977-12, Vol.2 (4), p.337-347
• Main Author: Heller, Knud Erik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0376-6357; 1872-8308
• DOI: 10.1016/0376-6357(77)90004-3

The three experiments of this series were conducted to (1) examine subsequent effects of electric shock on intermale fighting in previously isolated mice, and (2) determine to what extent post-shock fighting is affected by manipulations of the pituitary-gonadal and pituitary-adrenocortical axes. In experiment 1 it was found that shock treatment significantly increases fighting 1 2 to 1 h later. Experiment 2 showed that castration alone does not affect post-shock fighting, whereas adrenalectomy and castration combined with adrenalectomy both inhibit such fighting. Experiment 3 showed that pretreatment with testosterone increases fighting in intact males, but fails to restore post-shock fighting in adrenalectomized and castrated-adrenalectomized males. These findings suggest that (1) the pituitary-adrenocortical axis plays an important role in controlling post-shock fighting in mice, and (2) the inhibition of post-shock fighting by adrenalectomy and castration combined with adrenalectomy is not a result of the loss of adrenal testosterone which accompanies these operations.