Origins of individual differences in male sexual function

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A number of consistent sex differences in the nervous system and behaviour of rats have been described. Beyond their intrinsic interest, these sex differences are worthy of study because they provide an example of a consistent difference between individuals in neural structure and function, allowing us to study the factors that contribute to such differences. Some of the hormonal and developmental causes of these sex differences have been described. For example, it is known that early production of testosterone by males accounts for many sex differences in neural structure and behaviour. Nonetheless, individuals of the same sex differ considerably from one another in these sexually differentiated nervous system structures and behaviours for largely unknown reasons. The present proposal investigates contributions of environmental stimuli on erectile function in rats, which is controlled by a striking sex difference in the nervous system and represents a clear sex difference in behaviour. Our preliminary studies indicate that that at least two environmental factors influence adult erectile function: an individual's history of neonatal tacile stimulation of the genitals and an individual's stress response in adulthood. The proposed studies will investigate possible hormonal and neurological bases for these observed effects. These studies are expected to give us greater insight into the nature and origins of individual differences in the nervous system and behaviour.