Citation

Beyer C, González-Mariscal G. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1994; 19(5-7): 517-527.

Affiliation

Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal; CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7938351

Abstract

The male copulatory pattern uses muscles in the penis for erection and penile insertion, the lower trunk for pelvic thrusting, and the sex accessory organs for seminal emission. Organization of the nuclei controlling penile muscles is achieved through cell growth, dendritic arborization, and synaptogenesis, actions dependent on androgen but not estrogen. Testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) but not estradiol (E2), stimulate pelvic thrusting vigor by synchronizing discharge of motoneurons innervating pelvic muscles. Pelvic thrusting rhythmicity, regulated by spinal interneurons, is produced in female rabbits by E2 or T but not by DHT. Reflex contraction of the seminal vesicles, due to penile insertion, is facilitated by androgen presumably by its effect on preganglionic neurons of the hypogastric nerve, located in the dorsal commissural nucleus.

Language: en