Central hormonal replacement and home-cage dominance in castrated rats.

Abstract The effect of central placement of gonadal hormones on reinstating home-cage dominance behaviors in castrated rats was studied. Following the placement of testosterone or estradiol into the preoptic area of castrated rats, some dominance behaviors were reinstated to precastration levels, while neither hormone implants into the septum nor cholesterol implants into either the preoptic or septal areas produced any reliable effects.