Dataset Information

Exposure to odors of rivals enhances sexual motivation in male giant pandas.

ABSTRACT: Males will alter their mating behavior to cope with the presence of their competitors. Even exposure to odors from potential competitors can greatly increase male ejaculate expenditure in a variety of animals including insects, fishes, birds and rodents. Major efforts have been made to examine males' plastic responses to sperm competition and its fitness benefits. However, the effects of competitor absence on male's sexual motivation and behaviors remain unclear, which has been proposed to be one of the causes for the poor sexual performance of some captive mammals. This study revealed that sexual motivation can be greatly enhanced in captive male giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) by exposure to chemosensory cues from either one or three conspecifics males. It had been shown that potential rivals' odors increased males' chemosensory investigation behavior, as well as their observing, following and sniffing behaviors towards estrous females. Behaviors changed regardless of the number of rivals (one or three). Our results demonstrate the effects of potential competition on male giant pandas' sexual motivation and behavioral coping strategy. We anticipate that our research will provide a fresh insight into the mechanisms underlying poor sexual performance in male captive mammals, and valuable information for the practical management and ex situ conservation of endangered species.

SUBMITTER: Bian X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3734173 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Exposure to odors of rivals enhances sexual motivation in male giant pandas.

Bian Xiaoxing X Liu Dingzhen D Zeng Hua H Zhang Guiquan G Wei Rongping R Hou Rong R

PloS one 20130805 8

Males will alter their mating behavior to cope with the presence of their competitors. Even exposure to odors from potential competitors can greatly increase male ejaculate expenditure in a variety of animals including insects, fishes, birds and rodents. Major efforts have been made to examine males' plastic responses to sperm competition and its fitness benefits. However, the effects of competitor absence on male's sexual motivation and behaviors remain unclear, which has been proposed to be on ...[more]

PMID: 23940532

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Project description:IntroductionDifferent techniques have been used to identify the brain regions that control sexual motivation and sexual behavior. However, the influence of sexual experience on the activation of these brain regions in the same subject is unknown. Using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), we analyzed the activation of brain regions in the sexual incentive motivation (SIM) and the partner preference PP (tests) on weeks 1, 5, and 10 in male rats tested for 10 weeks. AIM. In experiment 1, we analyzed the possible toxic effects of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 on male sexual behavior, running wheel, and motor execution. In experiment 2, subjects were tested for SIM and PP using MEMRI.MethodsIn both experiments, a dose of 16 mg/kg (s.c) of chloride manganese (MnCl2) was administered 24 h before subjects were tested and placed immediately thereafter in a 7-Tesla Bruker scanner.ResultsIn experiment 1, the dose of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 did not induce behavioral alterations that could interfere with interpreting the imaging data. In experiment 2, we found a clear preference for the female in both the SIM and PP tests. We found a higher signal intensity in the olfactory bulb (OB) in week 1 of the SIM test compared to the control group. We also found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual behavior and mesolimbic reward circuits in the SIM test in week 1. In the PP test, we found a higher signal intensity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in week 10 compared to the control group. In the same test, we found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual and mesolimbic reward circuits in week 5 compared to the control group. Cohen's d analysis of the whole brain revealed that as the subjects gained sexual experience we observed a higher brain activation in the OB in the SIM group. The PP group showed higher brain activation in the cortex and subcortical structures as they acquired sexual experience.DiscussionAs the subjects gain sexual experience, more structures of the reward and socio-sexual circuits are recruited, resulting in different, and large brain activations.

Dataset Information

Exposure to odors of rivals enhances sexual motivation in male giant pandas.

Publications

Exposure to odors of rivals enhances sexual motivation in male giant pandas.

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