The Effect of Pre-Natal Stress on Male Rats’ Reproductive Behaviors
Many researchers have wondered the effects of pre-natal stress on developing organisms and it’s influence on their development. This is especially important when it comes to reproduction of humans and how people can ensure that human babies will not develop conditions that would impede their own attempts of reproductions. By studying the effects of pre-natal stress on rats, it allows scientists to gain an understanding on how environmental factors can affect the future offspring of rats. The purpose of this study was to identify how pre-natal stress influence sexual behaviors of male rats. We conducted one study and sought to determine to what extents does pre-natal stress …show more content…
During organizational period, which is the 3rd trimester (day 14-21), pregnant female rats were placed in retraining tubes and under heat lamps. They were under heat lamps for 30 minutes, three times a day. These stressors on the mothers cause pre-natal stress on the male adult offspring. The non-PNS group was left undisturbed by researchers. Stress will change biochemistry in the mother, which will affect fetus development. Testosterone levels will drop due to PNS. Thus, PNS stressed male will exhibit more female behavior due to lower testosterone levels. Male rats, both PNS and non-PNS, were individually placed in a mating arena with a female rat. Researchers measured the latency (the time it took before the male rat mounted the female rat the first time) in seconds and recorded the number of mounts of each male rat within a 2-minute time …show more content…
As shown in Figure 1, PNS rats have lower a mean number of mounts (M = 2.15,) than the control rats (M = 2). As shown in Figure 2, Control rats have a lower mean latency score (M = 57.5) than the PNS rats (M = 120)
Discussion
Our hypothesis that pre-natally stressed male rats would have less sexual activity is not supported. It is not supported because the mean score of mounts for PNS rats was lower than the mean score for control rats and the mean score of latency for PNS was higher than the mean score for control rats, which meant that PNS rats have less sexual activity.
The findings of our study were similar to Frye and Orecki (2002)’s study because PNS rats in both studies had less sexual activity. Also, The female rats in behavior estrus, like our male rats, had higher latencies. However, our findings were different because the female rats in Frye and Orecki (2002)’s study’s showed increased stress, reduced motor behavior, and more explorative behavior while the male rats in our study exhibited more feminine behaviors. This is
Many researchers have wondered the effects of pre-natal stress on developing organisms and it’s influence on their development. This is especially important when it comes to reproduction of humans and how people can ensure that human babies will not develop conditions that would impede their own attempts of reproductions. By studying the effects of pre-natal stress on rats, it allows scientists to gain an understanding on how environmental factors can affect the future offspring of rats. The purpose of this study was to identify how pre-natal stress influence sexual behaviors of male rats. We conducted one study and sought to determine to what extents does pre-natal stress …show more content…
During organizational period, which is the 3rd trimester (day 14-21), pregnant female rats were placed in retraining tubes and under heat lamps. They were under heat lamps for 30 minutes, three times a day. These stressors on the mothers cause pre-natal stress on the male adult offspring. The non-PNS group was left undisturbed by researchers. Stress will change biochemistry in the mother, which will affect fetus development. Testosterone levels will drop due to PNS. Thus, PNS stressed male will exhibit more female behavior due to lower testosterone levels. Male rats, both PNS and non-PNS, were individually placed in a mating arena with a female rat. Researchers measured the latency (the time it took before the male rat mounted the female rat the first time) in seconds and recorded the number of mounts of each male rat within a 2-minute time …show more content…
As shown in Figure 1, PNS rats have lower a mean number of mounts (M = 2.15,) than the control rats (M = 2). As shown in Figure 2, Control rats have a lower mean latency score (M = 57.5) than the PNS rats (M = 120)
Discussion
Our hypothesis that pre-natally stressed male rats would have less sexual activity is not supported. It is not supported because the mean score of mounts for PNS rats was lower than the mean score for control rats and the mean score of latency for PNS was higher than the mean score for control rats, which meant that PNS rats have less sexual activity.
The findings of our study were similar to Frye and Orecki (2002)’s study because PNS rats in both studies had less sexual activity. Also, The female rats in behavior estrus, like our male rats, had higher latencies. However, our findings were different because the female rats in Frye and Orecki (2002)’s study’s showed increased stress, reduced motor behavior, and more explorative behavior while the male rats in our study exhibited more feminine behaviors. This is