The present study evaluated the effects of acute
caffeine administration on paced mating behavior and partner preference in
ovariectomized rats primed with
estrogen and
progesterone. In Experiment 1, female rats were tested for paced mating behavior following acute administration of
caffeine (15 mg/kg).
Caffeine shortened the latency to return to a male following an
ejaculation. Although this dose of
caffeine did not alter the
likelihood of leaving a male after receiving sexual stimulation,
locomotor activity did increase significantly. Experiment 2 evaluated the
dose response characteristics of
caffeine (7.5, 15, 30 mg/kg) administration on paced mating behavior. Replicating Experiment 1,
caffeine at the lower doses shortened the latency to return to a male following an
ejaculation. Finally, to determine whether the effects of
caffeine (15 mg/kg) on contact-return latency reflect a change in sexual motivation or merely an inability to inhibit locomotion, rats were tested for partner preference (intact male vs. estrous female) following
caffeine administration (Experiment 3). Although
caffeine did not disrupt preference for a sexual partner,
caffeine selectively increased
visits to the male when physical contact was possible. Collectively, these results suggest that the effects of
caffeine on female mating behavior may reflect an increase in both sexual motivation and
locomotor activity.
