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Blood oxytocin was assayed on the lactating guinea-pig mammary gland. Thirty-six series of serial jugular blood samples were collected from 33 oestrous female goats during normal mating and the transient appearance of oxytocin (2 to 190 µu./ml plasma) was detected in 28 of the series. Coitus did not appear to be a major stimulus for the release of oxytocin. However, oxytocin release occurred in many experiments shortly before coitus when the male was present and continued after coitus for varying times up to 16 min after the male had left the mating room. Oxytocin (9–150 µu./ml plasma) was also released during simulated mating in all six experiments carried out in six dioestrous female goats.

In a further 16 oestrous female goats, oxytocin release (7–73 µu./ml plasma) occurred in response to individual exteroceptive stimuli associated with mating and these stimuli could be classified in descending order of effectiveness in causing oxytocin release as follows: presence of another goat > smell of the male > sound of the male > sight of the male.

The results indicate that oxytocin release occurs in oestrous female goats in response to a complex of stimuli occurring during mating and that physical stimuli associated with coitus are only important in causing oxytocin release during simulated mating in dioestrous female goats.

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				J. Graham and C Desjardins Classical conditioning: induction of luteinizing hormone and testosterone secretion in anticipation of sexual activity Science, November 28, 1980; 210(4473): 1039 - 1041. [Abstract] [PDF]