Effects of morphine on electrically evoked contractions of the vas deferens in two congeneric rodent species differing in sperm competition intensity.

An early prediction of sperm competition theory was that males should adjust the number of sperm they deliver according to the risk of double mating and this has received empirical support in recent years. It has been suggested that adaptive regulation of sperm delivery in mammals may depend on changes in vas deferens contractility. In laboratory mice, the vas deferens is sensitive to opioid agonists and the secretion of endogenous opioid peptides can be affected by social interactions that may be predictive of sperm competition risk. The present experiment was conducted to determine whether morphine, an opioid agonist (at the mu-receptor), has different effects on electrically evoked contractions of the isolated vas deferens in two congeneric rodent species differing in sperm competition intensity. Morphine inhibited contractions of the vas deferens in the non-monogamous deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) but not the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). This implies that the vas deferens of P. maniculatus possesses functional mu-receptors and, thus, should be able to respond to changes in the circulating levels of endogenous agonists whose secretion can be affected by social interactions predictive of sperm competition risk.