Abstract
Summary
Unit activity in the anterior and posterior hypothalamus was studied during stimulation of the vaginal cervix in anestrus, ovariectomized, and estrogen-treated ovariectomized cats. The results were as follows: (i) cells in the anterior and posterior hypothalamus were influenced by stimulation of the vaginal cervix; (ii) there was a greater tendency for increased firing rates in the anterior as compared to the posterior hypothalamus; (iii) estrogen treatment did not change the responsiveness of cells in the anterior hypothalamus; (iv) estrogen treatment was associated with a general depression of unit activity in the posterior hypothalamus. These findings suggest that the posterior hypothalamus may play a role in the regulation of ovulation and expression of sexual behavior in the cat.
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