Influence of neonatal steroid (diethylstilbestrol, allylestrenol) treatment on the sexual behaviour of the adult rat.

A single neonatal treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES) or allylestrenol (AE) considerably depressed the sexual activity of male rats in adulthood. DES had a stronger depressive effect than AE. Though the adult sexual activity of intact female rats was also reduced by DES it was not influenced by AE. Ovariectomized females that had been hormone-treated before experimental mating showed reduced sexual activity under the influence of neonatal DES-treatment but increased sexual activity when treated neonatally with AE.