{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T16:51:09Z","timestamp":1785430269646,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781136000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Secretar\u00eda de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnolog\u00eda e Innovaci\u00f3n (SECIHTI), Mexico","award":["595412"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["595412"]}]},{"name":"Secretar\u00eda de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnolog\u00eda e Innovaci\u00f3n (SECIHTI), Mexico","award":["1101367"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1101367"]}]},{"award":["595412"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["595412"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/059ex5q34","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["1101367"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1101367"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/059ex5q34","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["NeuroSci"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: We aimed to determine whether sexual experience modulates the soleus H-reflex in male rats and to assess the specific contribution of vermis lobules 6a and 7 to cerebellar-dependent spinal plasticity. Methods: Thirty-six male Wistar rats were divided into sexually inexperienced (SI) and sexually experienced (SE) groups and assigned to one of three cerebellar conditions: intact control, lobule 6a lesion, or lobule 7 lesion. SE rats underwent repeated mating sessions until they achieved efficient copulatory performance. Subsequently, targeted electrolytic lesions were made, and electromyographic recordings of the soleus H-reflex were obtained under urethane anesthesia to quantify H-wave amplitude and temporal parameters. Results: The global linear mixed model yielded no significant main effects of sexual experience, cerebellar condition, or their interaction on H-wave amplitude. Planned contrasts revealed a near-significant trend toward higher H-wave amplitude in sexually experienced intact animals compared with inexperienced controls (p = 0.061, Cohen\u2019s d = 0.592, 95% CI [\u22121.44, 0.04] V), and significant amplitude reductions following lobule 6a (p = 0.029, d = 1.450, 95% CI [0.13, 2.33] V) and lobule 7 (p = 0.002, d = 2.256, 95% CI [0.74, 3.08] V) lesions specifically in sexually experienced animals. Neither sexual experience nor lesions significantly affected H-wave latency or duration, suggesting that modulation primarily targets synaptic excitability rather than axonal conduction. M-wave latency showed a significant effect of sexual experience (p = 0.026, d = 1.405, 95% CI [0.03, 0.45] ms). Conclusions: Sexual experience appears to be associated with cerebellar-dependent modulation of soleus H-reflex excitability; lobules 6a and 7 of the cerebellar vermis contribute to this effect specifically in experienced animals. Shorter M-wave latency in experienced animals suggests parallel peripheral motor reorganization. Adequately powered confirmatory studies are needed to characterize the mechanisms underlying this association.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/neurosci7030067","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T06:57:17Z","timestamp":1781161037000},"page":"67","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Neuroplasticity in Spinal Circuits Mediated by Sexual Experience and Cerebellar Lobules"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Jaime R.","family":"Guti\u00e9rrez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6039-3745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristofer","family":"Zarate-Calderon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-8163-7180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiorella","family":"Fadanelli-S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Campus Ciudad Mendoza, Universidad Veracruzana, Ciudad Mendoza 94740, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5162-4715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdiel A.","family":"Demuner-Mendoza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Campus Ciudad Mendoza, Universidad Veracruzana, Ciudad Mendoza 94740, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ren\u00e9","family":"Zempoalteca-Ram\u00edrez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Tlaxcala de Biolog\u00eda de la Conducta, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala 90070, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4765-9051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luis Beltr\u00e1n","family":"Parrazal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2094-5787","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Donaji","family":"Chi-Casta\u00f1eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6967-1919","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luis I.","family":"Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91190, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.1080\/14734220701329268","article-title":"\u2018Motor Cognition\u2019\u2014What Is It and Is the Cerebellum Involved?","volume":"6","author":"Fuentes","year":"2007","journal-title":"Cerebellum"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9107","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.2622-06.2006","article-title":"Cerebellar Contributions to Locomotor Adaptations during Splitbelt Treadmill Walking","volume":"26","author":"Morton","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1038\/s41583-025-00936-z","article-title":"Cerebellar Circuit Computations for Predictive Motor Control","volume":"26","author":"Nguyen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Matsugi, A. (2023). Cerebellar TMS Induces Motor Responses Mediating Modulation of Spinal Excitability: A Literature Review. Brain Sci., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci13040531"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Paxinos, G. (2015). Cerebellum and Cerebellar Connections. The Rat Nervous System, Academic Press. [4th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-neuro-091421-125115","article-title":"The Cerebellar Cortex","volume":"45","author":"Hull","year":"2022","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1038\/s41583-020-00392-x","article-title":"Bidirectional Learning in Upbound and Downbound Microzones of the Cerebellum","volume":"22","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-023-02320-8","article-title":"Plasticity Leading to Cerebellum-Dependent Learning: Two Different Regions, Two Different Types","volume":"29","author":"Lee","year":"2024","journal-title":"Mol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1680","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinph.2010.02.166","article-title":"Stretch Sensitive Reflexes as an Adaptive Mechanism for Maintaining Limb Stability","volume":"121","author":"Shemmell","year":"2010","journal-title":"Clin. Neurophysiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gordon, J. (1994). Receptors in Muscle and Their Role in Motor Control. The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation Medicine, Elsevier. [2nd ed.].","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-1-4831-7818-9.50012-5"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1881","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.05-07-01881.1985","article-title":"Effect of Intrafusal Muscle Mechanics on Mammalian Muscle Spindle Sensitivity","volume":"5","author":"Poppele","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pliego-Carrillo, A.C., and Cuellar, C.A. (2023). Post-Activation Depression of the Hoffman Reflex Is Not Altered by Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation in Healthy Subjects. Front. Integr. Neurosci., 17.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnint.2023.1234613"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.1101\/lm.91305","article-title":"Ablation of Cerebellar Nuclei Prevents H-Reflex Down-Conditioning in Rats","volume":"12","author":"Chen","year":"2005","journal-title":"Learn. Mem."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2007.09.005","article-title":"Fos Expression at the Cerebellum Following Non-Contact Arousal and Mating Behavior in Male Rats","volume":"93","author":"Manzo","year":"2008","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1007\/s12311-009-0148-y","article-title":"Multiunit Recording of the Cerebellar Cortex, Inferior Olive, and Fastigial Nucleus During Copulation in Naive and Sexually Experienced Male Rats","volume":"9","author":"Miquel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cerebellum"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2011.02.031","article-title":"Sexual Behavior and Locomotion Induced by Sexual Cues in Male Rats Following Lesion of Lobules VIa and VII of the Cerebellar Vermis","volume":"103","author":"Miquel","year":"2011","journal-title":"Physiol. Behav."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gelfo, F., Serra, L., and Petrosini, L. (2023). New Prospects on Cerebellar Reserve: Remarks on Neuroprotective Effects of Experience in Animals and Humans. Front. Syst. Neurosci., 16.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnsys.2022.1088587"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mier-Quesada, Z., Gayt\u00e1n-Tocaven, L., Prado, A., and Paredes, R.G. (2025). Micro and Macro Structural Brain Plastic Changes Induced by Sexual Experience in Male Rats. PLoS ONE, 20.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0334959"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Secretar\u00eda de Agricultura, Ganader\u00eda, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentaci\u00f3n (SAGARPA) (2001). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-062-ZOO-1999, Especificaciones T\u00e9cnicas para la Producci\u00f3n, Cuidado y Uso de Animales de Laboratorio, Diario Oficial de la Federaci\u00f3n."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1512","DOI":"10.1097\/00000542-200212000-00025","article-title":"The Anesthetic Mechanism of Urethane: The Effects on Neurotransmitter-Gated Ion Channels","volume":"97","author":"Hara","year":"2002","journal-title":"Anesthesiology"},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Paxinos, G., and Watson, C. (2006). The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, Academic Press. [6th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.1101\/lm.92706","article-title":"The Cerebellum in Maintenance of a Motor Skill: A Hierarchy of Brain and Spinal Cord Plasticity Underlies H-Reflex Conditioning","volume":"13","author":"Wolpaw","year":"2006","journal-title":"Learn. Mem."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00391.2001","article-title":"Probable Corticospinal Tract Control of Spinal Cord Plasticity in the Rat","volume":"87","author":"Chen","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Neurophysiol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1002\/nau.22891","article-title":"The Role of the Pubococcygeus Muscle in the Urethrogenital Reflex of Male Rats","volume":"36","author":"Cuevas","year":"2017","journal-title":"Neurourol. Urodyn."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1006\/hbeh.1999.1519","article-title":"Regulation of Noncontact Erection in Rats by Gonadal Steroids","volume":"35","author":"Manzo","year":"1999","journal-title":"Horm. Behav."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"670","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2698","article-title":"Cerebellar Cortical Organization: A One-Map Hypothesis","volume":"10","author":"Apps","year":"2009","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3162","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-53186-x","article-title":"Roles of the Cerebellar Vermis in Predictive Postural Controls against External Disturbances","volume":"14","author":"Konosu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1982.sp014103","article-title":"Climbing Fibre Induced Depression of Both Mossy Fibre Responsiveness and Glutamate Sensitivity of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells","volume":"324","author":"Ito","year":"1982","journal-title":"J. Physiol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"644","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00175.2018","article-title":"Cell Type-Specific Plasticity at Parallel Fiber Synapses onto Purkinje Cells in the Posterior Caudal Lobe of the Mormyrid Fish Cerebellum","volume":"120","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Neurophysiol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thompson, A.K., and Wolpaw, J.R. (2014). Operant Conditioning of Spinal Reflexes: From Basic Science to Clinical Therapy. Front. Integr. Neurosci., 8.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnint.2014.00025"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"601","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.0731-22.2022","article-title":"Expression of a Form of Cerebellar Motor Memory Requires Learned Alterations to the Activity of Inhibitory Molecular Layer Interneurons","volume":"43","author":"Bonnan","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1007\/s00221-008-1280-5","article-title":"A Computational Neuroanatomy for Motor Control","volume":"185","author":"Shadmehr","year":"2008","journal-title":"Exp. Brain Res."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2756","article-title":"The Cerebellar Microcircuit as an Adaptive Filter: Experimental and Computational Evidence","volume":"11","author":"Dean","year":"2010","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7554","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.1451-23.2023","article-title":"Cognitive-Affective Functions of the Cerebellum","volume":"43","author":"Rudolph","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"836","DOI":"10.1007\/s12311-021-01246-7","article-title":"Functional Convergence of Motor and Social Processes in Lobule IV\/V of the Mouse Cerebellum","volume":"20","author":"Chao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cerebellum"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Maznychenko, A., Abramovych, T.I., Bulgakova, N.V., Melenko, V., Levchuk, Y.A., Shevchuk, T., Sokolowska, I., and Kostyukov, A.I. (2025). Divergent Effects of Calcium Channel Modulators on H-Reflex Excitability in Fatigued Rat Muscle. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 26.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262110749"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2745","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00362.2018","article-title":"Operant Conditioning of the Tibialis Anterior Motor Evoked Potential in People with and without Chronic Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury","volume":"120","author":"Thompson","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Neurophysiol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1007\/s00221-002-1026-8","article-title":"Corticospinal Tract Transection Prevents Operantly Conditioned H-Reflex Increase in Rats","volume":"144","author":"Chen","year":"2002","journal-title":"Exp. Brain Res."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1121","DOI":"10.1007\/s12311-023-01622-5","article-title":"A Novel Paired Somatosensory-Cerebellar Stimulation Induces Plasticity on Cerebellar-Brain Connectivity","volume":"23","author":"Ginatempo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cerebellum"},{"key":"ref_40","first-page":"e63736","article-title":"The Evoked Potential Operant Conditioning System (EPOCS): A Research Tool and an Emerging Therapy for Chronic Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"186","author":"Hill","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Vis. Exp."}],"container-title":["NeuroSci"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-4087\/7\/3\/67\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T07:47:47Z","timestamp":1781164067000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2673-4087\/7\/3\/67"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["neurosci7030067"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/neurosci7030067","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4087"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4087","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]}}}