Role of the ovary and adrenal gland in the sexual behavior of the musk shrew, Suncus murinus.

Abstract

The contributions of the ovary and the adrenal gland to sexual behavior were examined in the female musk shrew (Suncus murinus). Ovariectomy eliminated sexual behavior, and treatment with estradiol or testosterone restored it in almost all shrews. Progesterone was ineffective in this regard. Adrenalectomy, likewise, blocked sexual behavior in most females with intact ovaries. Taken together, these results suggest that sexual behavior in this primitive eutherian mammal is normally modulated by secretions of both the ovary and the adrenal gland.