The influence of hypothalamically administered reserpine on the sexual behavior of the female cat

Ovariectomized cats with intracerebral implants of reserpine, a monoamine depletor, were tested for sexual behavior by introducing them to sexually vigorous males and by artificial stimulation. Approximately a third of the animals mated in response to reserpine and another third exhibited some components of sexual behavior. The behavior exhibited by these animals had none of the frenzy of normal estrous behavior. Some components of the normal pattern were missing while all others were curtailed in duration and vigor. These animals responded with normal sexual behavior to intracerebrally and systemically administered estrogen. It is suggested that the unusual sexual behavior in response to reserpine was due to the release of these behavioral patterns from a monoamine system, inhibitory to sexual behavior.