Behav Processes. 2017 Mar;136:43-49. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.010.
Ramírez-Rodríguez R1, Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran MB2, Díaz-Estrada VX1, Chena-Becerra F2, Herrera-Covarrubias D3, Paredes-Ramos P4, Manzo J3, Garcia LI3, Coria-Avila GA5.
Abstract
Sexual partner preferences can be strengthened, weakened or even drastically modified via Pavlovian conditioning. For example, conditioned same-sex partner preference develops in sexually-naïve male rats that undergo same-sex cohabitation under the effects of quinpirole (QNP, D2 agonist). Here, we assessed the effect of prior heterosexual experience on the probability to develop a conditioned same-sex preference. Naïve or Sexually-experienced males received either Saline or QNP and cohabited during 24h with a male partner that bore almond scent on the back as conditioned stimulus. This was repeated every 4days for a total of three trials and resulted in four groups (Saline-naïve, Saline-experienced, QNP-naïve, QNP-experienced). Social and sexual preference were assessed four days after the last conditioning trial in a drug-free test in which experimental males chose between the scented familiar male and a novel sexually receptive female. Results showed that Saline-naïve, Saline-experienced and QNP-experienced displayed a clear preference for the female (opposite-sex). By contrast, only QNP-naïve males displayed a same-sex preference. Accordingly, QNP-experienced males were not affected by the conditioning process and continued to prefer females. We discuss the effects of copulation and D2 agonists on the facilitation and/or disruption of conditioned partner preferences.
KEYWORDS: Conditioning; Experience; Homosexual; Quinpirole; Sex; Sexual behavior
PMID: 28119015
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