Behavioural effects of ACTH or corticosterone administration to adult male domestic ducks,Anas platyrhynchos L

Intracranial administration of corticotropin-like peptides increases incidence of amphibian reproductive behavior

Male rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) exhibit an increase in sexual behavior (amplectic clasping) following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH 1-39), ACTH 4-10, or melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha MSH). In contrast, intraperitoneal (IP) administration of ACTH 1-39 or corticosterone significantly decreases the incidence of sexual behavior in male newts. These results suggest that a corticotropin-like peptide acts centrally to enhance sexual behavior and that systemic ACTH acts on the interrenal tissue to inhibit sexual behavior by stimulating the release of corticosterone.

Short-term modulation of domestic pigeon (Columbia livia L.) behaviour induced by intraventricular administration of ACTH

The behavioural responses induced in adult domestic pigeons by intraventricular injections of 0 to 6 IU of ACTH 1-39 are reported. The frequency of 10 different behaviour patterns was recorded for 90 min after administration of the peptide. The effect that was induced was complex, the frequency of some patterns increasing (yawning, headshaking, body shaking, wing-flapping), or some others decreasing (feeding, one-wing stretching, eye closing) or remaining unchanged (preening). The frequency of several patterns was maximal during the first 30 min following the injections but this was shown in some cases to be independent on the hormone administration.

Effects of testosterone propionate and pituitary-adrenal hormones on the social behaviour of male ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos L.) in two test situations

This experiment was designed to study in male ducklings the behavioural influence of testosterone propionate (= TP) injections, combined with pituitary-adrenal hormones administration, in two test situations: in groups of birds from the same residence cage or from visually isolated cages. It appears from the results that TP administration increased sexual but not aggressive behaviour, while pituitary-adrenal hormones induced very few effects. The responses of the birds were however modulated to a large extent by the type of test situation.