1194 



HORMONAL REGULATION 



acters (Lipschiitz, 1924, 1927; Steinach and 

 Kun, 1928). Moore (1941, 1947) and Beach 

 (1947), calling attention to the many ob- 

 servations and experiments bearing on the 

 subject, were among the first to question 

 this concept. More recently, opinions have 

 been expressed which are even more critical. 

 Eayrs (1952) states "... there is no truly 

 specific relationship between any one hor- 

 mone and the pattern of behavior which it 

 facilitates." Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin and 

 Gebhard (1953, pp. 729, 748) concluded 

 that, even for lower mammals, the designa- 

 tion "sex hormone" is unfortunate; they are 

 simply "among the physiologic agents which 

 step up the general level of metabolic ac- 

 tivity in an animal's body, including the 

 level of its nervous function and therefore 

 of its sexual activity." 



The approach we have chosen in discuss- 

 ing the problem is through an analysis of 

 the many deviations from the relatively 

 straightforward relationships described thus 

 far. The nature of these deviations is indi- 

 cated in Table 19.2, which contains a list 

 of 8 possible relationships between be- 

 havioral response and gonadal hormone 

 action. Relationships 1, 5, and 7 are com- 

 monly encountered and have been dis- 

 cussed; the less common relationships 2, 3, 

 4, 6, and 8 will now be reviewed. 



Relnfionship 2. A number of instances of 

 the display of masculine behavior by males 

 in response to estrogen action can be cited. 

 Some fishes (Aronson, 1957), castrated male 

 rats (Ball, 1937a, 1939; Beach, 1942d), 

 castrated cats (Green, Clemente and de 



TABLE 19.2 



Eight possible relationships between behavioral 



response and gonadal hormone action 



* The typical relationship. 

 t A common relationship. 



Groot, 1957 », and capons (Goodale, 1918; 

 Finlay, 1925; Davis and Domm, 1943; 

 Guhl, 1949) receiving implanted ovaries or 

 estrogens displayed varying degrees of 

 masculine behavior. As these reports are 

 read, one generalization seems justified. It 

 is that in several instances the estrogenic 

 substances were not strongly effective in 

 stimulating masculine behavior (Ball, 

 1937a, 1939; Beach, 1942d). In another 

 study (Miihlbock, 1940), 2 castrated male 

 rats injected daily for a long time with 1 

 mg. estradiol did not retain the copulatory 

 ability present at the beginning of the in- 

 jection period. Ball (1937a) stated that 

 estradiol restored the ejaculatory pattern 

 in some castrated male rats, but Beach 

 (1956) in a number of attempts was not 

 able to induce ejaculatory responses in es- 

 trogcnized, castrated male rats. Because a 

 broad experience with fishes is summarized, 

 Aronson's comment is quoted: "Thus while 

 certain androgens seem to duplicate the 

 endocrine function of the testes the ef- 

 fectiveness of the estrogens is less clear." 



Guinea pigs have been used (Antliff and 

 Young, 1956). The reproductive perform- 

 ance of 30 intact male guinea pigs was de- 

 termined. The animals were then castrated 

 and, beginning either immediately or 10 

 weeks later, 28 were injected daily with 

 estradiol, estrone, or testosterone propio- 

 nate. Regardless of when the injections were 

 begun, the results were approximately the 

 same. When they were started immediately 

 after castration and continued for 16 weeks, 

 the average scores in the last five tests 

 were 24.8 per cent below the precastra- 

 tional level in the males receiving testos- 

 terone propionate, 46.1 per cent in the males 

 receiving estrone, and 74.5 per cent in those 

 receiving estradiol. When treatment was 

 started 10 weeks after castration and con- 

 tinued for 16 weeks the average scores based 

 on the last 5 tests were 14.0 per cent below 

 the precastrational level in the males re- 

 ceiving testosterone propionate, 23.9 per 

 cent lower in the males receiving estrone, 

 and 78.1 per cent lower in the males re- 

 ceiving estradiol. The latter level was close 

 to that to which the behavior of the un- 

 treated castrates had regressed. No male 

 receiving an estrogen ejaculated and only 



