Social Stimulus Test
Objective: To determine if dopamine response in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) to an estrous female could be attributed to nonsexual social stimuli by testing exposure to another male rat
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment3
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Protocol Steps
Precopulatory exposure to estrous female
Male rats were exposed to an estrous female with a barrier in place to prevent copulation
Note: Dopamine levels were measured during this exposure period
View evidence from paper
“whether extracellular DA increases during precopulatory exposure to an estrous female”
Exposure to another male rat
Male rats were exposed to another male rat to test if nonsexual social stimuli could account for dopamine response
Note: This served as a control to determine if dopamine response was specific to sexual stimuli
View evidence from paper
“The DA response to the estrous female could not be attributed to nonsexual social stimuli, since exposure to another male was ineffective”
Barrier removal and copulation
The barrier was removed to allow copulation between the male test animal and estrous female
Note: Dopamine and metabolite levels were measured during copulation
View evidence from paper
“When the barrier was removed and the animals were allowed to copulate, levels of DA and its metabolites continued to rise”
Voluntary running control
Male rats were allowed to run voluntarily in a running wheel to test if motor activity accounts for increased dopamine levels
Note: Dopamine levels during voluntary running were compared to levels during copulation
View evidence from paper
“animals running voluntarily in a running wheel did not show significantly increased DA”