Influence of Age and Testosterone on the Response of Male Rats to Parachlorophenylalanine

    September 1972 in “ British Journal of Pharmacology ”
    VALERIE J. BOND, Elizabeth E. Shillito, Marthe Vogt
    TLDR PCPA induces hypersexual behavior in male rats regardless of age or castration status.
    The study found that both castrated and intact male rats exhibited hypersexual behavior 24 hours after treatment with parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA), with a dose of 100 mg/kg being sufficient to induce mounting behavior by reducing cerebral 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels. Chronic treatment with PCPA or testosterone propionate led to hair loss in juvenile male rats due to increased social interaction. Intact male rats aged 9-11 weeks showed similar mounting behavior after testosterone propionate injection as seen with PCPA treatment, without altering brain 5-HT levels. The frequency of mounting behavior induced by PCPA did not change with age, although younger rats mounted more frequently than older rats. The age at which rats were castrated did not affect the outcomes.
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