Biopsychology of Female Sexual Behavior

这项研究的目的是研究一种动物的神经系统对雌性性行为的调节，这种动物在一个周期和一年中任何时候都表现出性接受性，雌性麝香鼩。麝香鼩是东南亚热带和亚热带地区的原始哺乳动物。繁殖不是循环的，而是在当地条件有利的情况下一年四季进行。雌性麝香鼩保持高水平的血清睾酮。实验的目的是为了验证这样一种观点：在大脑的某些部分，睾丸激素向雌激素的转化对女性性行为的激活至关重要。麝香鼩的交配发生在雌性激素水平低而雄性激素浓度高的时候。将睾酮转化为雌激素来激活性行为比维持高水平的雌激素更好，因为雌激素可以作为一种神经毒素。雄激素与其他动物雌性性行为的表达有关，因此这些研究可能会揭示其他雌性动物雌性性行为的神经调节。

The goal of this research is to study the regulation by the nervous system of the female sexual behavior of an animal that displays sexual receptivity at all times of the cycle and year, the female musk shrew. Musk shrews are primitive mammals from tropical and subtropical areas of Southeastern Asia. Reproduction is not cyclic, but occurs year round whenever local conditions are favorable. Female musk shrews maintain high levels of serum testosterone. Experiments are designed to test the idea that conversion of testosterone to estrogen in certain parts of the brain are critical for the activation of female sexual behavior. In musk shrews mating occurs when estrogen levels are low and testosterone concentrations are high. The conversion of testosterone to estrogen to activate sexual behavior is better than maintaining high levels of estrogen since estrogen can act as a neurotoxin. Androgens have been implicated in the expression of female sexual behavior in other animals so these studies may shed light on neural regulation of female sexual behavior in other female animals.