Vaginal stimulation in rats induces prolonged lordosis responsiveness and sexual receptivity

Conducted 2 experiments, using a total of 131 female Sprague-Dawley rats. Sexual receptivity to males resulted from stimulation of the vagina with a glass rod in previously unreceptive ovariectomized, estrogen-treated Ss. Several minutes of rejection behavior preceded the receptivity. In Exp II manual palpation was used to determine the duration of the lordosis response facilitation. Initially, all Ss were unresponsive to manual flank-perineum stimulation (palpation). Vaginal stimulation plus palpation, which together elicited lordosis, facilitated subsequent lordosis responses to palpation. This effect persisted for several hours after the vaginal stimulation was applied. Vaginal stimulation alone, which was ineffective in eliciting lordosis, also facilitated lordosis in response to subsequent palpation. Repeated palpation did not facilitate lordosis. These prolonged effects were independent of hormone treatment. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).