Diabetes disrupts copulatory behavior and neuroendocrine responses of male rats to female conspecifics.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes disrupts copulatory behavior in the male rat. The increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) that occurs in the male rat in response to the presence of a receptive female is absent in most diabetic rats. A female-induced testosterone rise is not seen in diabetic male rats, including those showing an increase in LH. The female-induced LH rise appears to be secondary to increased hypothalamic norepinephrine metabolism, which is severely attenuated in diabetic rats not exhibiting an LH rise in response to a female.