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Research article2010Peer reviewed

Oxytocin, vasopressin, prostaglandin F-2 alpha, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, estrone sulfate, and cortisol plasma concentrations after sexual stimulation in stallions

Veronesi, MC; Tosi, U; Villani, M; Govoni, N; Faustini, M; Kindahl, Hans ; Madej, Andrzej; Carluccio, A; Veronesi, M.C.; Kindahl, H

Abstract

This experiment was designed to determine the effects of sexual stimulation on plasma concentrations of oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (VP), 15-ketodihydro-PGF(2 alpha) (PG-metabolite), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), estrone sulfate (ES), and cortisol (C) in stallions. Semen samples were collected from 14 light horse stallions (Equus caballus) of proven fertility using a Missouri model artificial vagina. Blood samples were collected at 15, 12, 9, 6, and 3 min before estrous mare exposure, at erection, at ejaculation, and at 3, 6, and 9 min after ejaculation. Afterwards, blood sampling was performed every 10 min for the following 60 min. Sexual activity determined an increase in plasma concentrations of OT, VP, C, PG-metabolite, and ES and caused no changes in LH and T concentrations. The finding of a negative correlation between C and VP at erection, and between C and T before erection and at the time of erection, could be explained by a possible inhibitory role exerted by C in the mechanism of sexual arousal described for men. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Horse; Hormones; Sexual Stimulation; Stallion

Published in

Theriogenology
2010, Volume: 73, number: 4, pages: 460-467
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

      SLU Authors

      • UKÄ Subject classification

      Animal and Dairy Science
      Veterinary Science

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.09.028

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/48201