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Mott MN, Goeders NE. Sexual effects of commonly used recreational psychostimulants in women and the female rat model. Sex Med Rev 2024; 12:256-262. [PMID: 38486472 DOI: 10.1093/sxmrev/qeae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recreational psychostimulants have been associated with increased sexual activity or changes in sexual function in women, but every drug in this class has not shown consistent sexual effects in scientific studies. Further, some studies in female animal models may recapitulate the effects observed in humans, while others produce conflicting results. Overall, though, published studies on the sexual effects of recreational stimulants in women are lacking. OBJECTIVES The objective of this manuscript was to review the published sexual effects of prominent recreational psychostimulants in women and in the female rat model. METHODS Literature searches for "any years" were performed through PubMed and Google Scholar. Keywords for the searches included "amphetamine," "methamphetamine," "MDMA," "ecstasy," "3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine," "cocaine," "caffeine," "sex," "sexual," "female," and "women." Studies in humans and using animal models were included. RESULTS Older studies have shown that amphetamine produces a positive sexual effect in women, but often the sample size was too small to draw generalizable conclusions. Methamphetamine also has a positive effect on several sexual domains in women, as well as on vaginal lubrication. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine may have a negative or positive effect on sexual activity, but often enhances the sensual aspects of sex. Though low doses of cocaine may heighten the sexual experience, most women who use cocaine experience negative sexual effects. Caffeine has been shown to enhance a physiological measure of arousal, vaginal blood flow, but based on our searches, no studies have investigated the subjective sexual effects of the drug. CONCLUSION Different recreational psychostimulants produce varying effects on sexual behavior and responses in women and female animal models, but more research is needed to understand these effects better.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie N Mott
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, United States
- Louisiana Addiction Research Center, Shreveport, LA, 71103, United States
| | - Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, United States
- Louisiana Addiction Research Center, Shreveport, LA, 71103, United States
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2
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d'Isa R, Fasano S, Brambilla R. Editorial: Animal-friendly methods for rodent behavioral testing in neuroscience research. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1431310. [PMID: 38983871 PMCID: PMC11232432 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1431310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele d'Isa
- Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience (DNS), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Fasano
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Gaytán-Tocavén L, Aguilar-Moreno A, Ortiz J, Alcauter S, Antonio-Cabrera E, Paredes RG. Identification of neural circuits controlling male sexual behavior and sexual motivation by manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1301406. [PMID: 38187924 PMCID: PMC10768062 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1301406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Different techniques have been used to identify the brain regions that control sexual motivation and sexual behavior. However, the influence of sexual experience on the activation of these brain regions in the same subject is unknown. Using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), we analyzed the activation of brain regions in the sexual incentive motivation (SIM) and the partner preference PP (tests) on weeks 1, 5, and 10 in male rats tested for 10 weeks. AIM. In experiment 1, we analyzed the possible toxic effects of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 on male sexual behavior, running wheel, and motor execution. In experiment 2, subjects were tested for SIM and PP using MEMRI. Methods In both experiments, a dose of 16 mg/kg (s.c) of chloride manganese (MnCl2) was administered 24 h before subjects were tested and placed immediately thereafter in a 7-Tesla Bruker scanner. Results In experiment 1, the dose of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 did not induce behavioral alterations that could interfere with interpreting the imaging data. In experiment 2, we found a clear preference for the female in both the SIM and PP tests. We found a higher signal intensity in the olfactory bulb (OB) in week 1 of the SIM test compared to the control group. We also found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual behavior and mesolimbic reward circuits in the SIM test in week 1. In the PP test, we found a higher signal intensity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in week 10 compared to the control group. In the same test, we found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual and mesolimbic reward circuits in week 5 compared to the control group. Cohen's d analysis of the whole brain revealed that as the subjects gained sexual experience we observed a higher brain activation in the OB in the SIM group. The PP group showed higher brain activation in the cortex and subcortical structures as they acquired sexual experience. Discussion As the subjects gain sexual experience, more structures of the reward and socio-sexual circuits are recruited, resulting in different, and large brain activations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan Ortiz
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | | | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
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Mier Quesada Z, Portillo W, Paredes RG. Behavioral evidence of the functional interaction between the main and accessory olfactory system suggests a large olfactory system with a high plastic capability. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1211644. [PMID: 37908970 PMCID: PMC10613685 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1211644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is fundamental in many species of mammals. In rodents, the integrity of this system is required for the expression of parental and sexual behavior, mate recognition, identification of predators, and finding food. Different anatomical and physiological evidence initially indicated the existence of two anatomically distinct chemosensory systems: The main olfactory system (MOS) and the accessory olfactory system (AOS). It was originally conceived that the MOS detected volatile odorants related to food, giving the animal information about the environment. The AOS, on the other hand, detected non-volatile sexually relevant olfactory cues that influence reproductive behaviors and neuroendocrine functions such as intermale aggression, sexual preference, maternal aggression, pregnancy block (Bruce effect), puberty acceleration (Vandenbergh effect), induction of estrous (Whitten effect) and sexual behavior. Over the last decade, several lines of evidence have demonstrated that although these systems could be anatomically separated, there are neuronal areas in which they are interconnected. Moreover, it is now clear that both the MOS and the AOS process both volatile and no-volatile odorants, indicating that they are also functionally interconnected. In the first part of the review, we will describe the behavioral evidence. In the second part, we will summarize data from our laboratory and other research groups demonstrating that sexual behavior in male and female rodents induces the formation of new neurons that reach the main and accessory olfactory bulbs from the subventricular zone. Three factors are essential for the neurons to reach the AOS and the MOS: The stimulation frequency, the stimulus's temporal presentation, and the release of opioids induced by sexual behavior. We propose that the AOS and the MOS are part of a large olfactory system with a high plastic capability, which favors the adaptation of species to different environmental signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zacnite Mier Quesada
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
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Ventura-Aquino E, Paredes RG. Being friendly: paced mating for the study of physiological, behavioral, and neuroplastic changes induced by sexual behavior in females. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1184897. [PMID: 37840548 PMCID: PMC10568070 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1184897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Paced mating in rats is an experimental condition that allows the evaluation of sexual behavior in a way that closely resembles what occurs in seminatural and natural conditions enabling the female to control the rate of the sexual interaction. In conventional non-paced mating tests, females cannot escape from male approaches, which may lead to an unrewarding overstimulation. Paced mating is an alternative laboratory procedure that improves animal welfare and has a higher ethological relevance. The use of this procedure contributed to the identification of physiological and behavioral factors that favor reproduction. Paced mating includes motivational and behavioral components differentiating quantitative and qualitative characteristics that are critical for the induction of the rewarding properties of mating. These positive consequences ensure that the behavior will be repeated, favoring the species' survival. Sexual reward is an immediate consequence of paced mating, mediated mainly by the endogenous opioid system. Paced mating also induces long-lasting neuroplastic changes, including gene expression, synthesis of proteins, and neurogenesis in sex-relevant brain areas. The interest in paced mating is growing since the complexity of its elements and consequences at different levels in a laboratory setting resembles what occurs in natural conditions. In this review, we analyze the classic studies and recent publications demonstrating the advantages of using paced mating to evaluate different aspects of sexual behavior in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ventura-Aquino
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
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Ågmo A, Laan E. The Sexual Incentive Motivation Model and Its Clinical Applications. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:969-988. [PMID: 36378887 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2134978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sexual motivation (desire) requires the simultaneous presence of an active central motive state and a stimulus with sexual significance. Once activated, sexual motivation leads to visceral responses and approach behaviors directed toward the emitter of the sexual stimulus. In humans, such behaviors follow cognitive evaluation of the context, including predictions of the approached individual's response. After successful approach and establishment of physical contact, manifest sexual activities may be initiated. Sexual interaction is associated with and followed by a state of positive affect in most animals, whereas aversive consequences may be experienced by humans. The affective reactions may become associated with stimuli present during sexual interaction, and these stimuli may thereby alter their incentive properties. Here we show how the incentive motivation model can be used to explain the origins and possible treatments of sexual dysfunctions, notably disorders of desire. We propose that associations formed between negative outcomes of sexual interaction and the salient stimuli, for example, the partner, underlies hypoactive desire disorder. Highly positive outcomes of sexual interaction enhance the incentive value of the stimuli present, and eventually lead to hyperactive sexual desire. Treatments aim to alter the impact of sexual incentives, mainly by modifying cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø
| | - Ellen Laan
- Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam
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Abstract
Reproduction is the biological process by which new individuals are produced by their parents. It is the fundamental feature of all known life and is required for the existence of all species. All mammals reproduce sexually, a process that involves the union of two reproductive cells, one from a male and one from a female. Sexual behaviors are a series of actions leading to reproduction. They are composed of appetitive, action, and refractory phases, each supported by dedicated developmentally-wired neural circuits to ensure high reproduction success. In rodents, successful reproduction can only occur during female ovulation. Thus, female sexual behavior is tightly coupled with ovarian activity, namely the estrous cycle. This is achieved through the close interaction between the female sexual behavior circuit and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding, learned mainly in rodents, regarding the neural circuits underlying each phase of the female sexual behaviors and their interaction with the HPG axis, highlighting the gaps in our knowledge that require future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luping Yin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Suarez LM, Diaz-Del Cerro E, Felix J, Gonzalez-Sanchez M, Ceprian N, Guerra-Perez N, G Novelle M, Martinez de Toda I, De la Fuente M. Sex differences in neuroimmunoendocrine communication. Involvement on longevity. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 211:111798. [PMID: 36907251 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine, nervous, and immune systems work coordinately to maintain the global homeostasis of the organism. They show sex differences in their functions that, in turn, contribute to sex differences beyond reproductive function. Females display a better control of the energetic metabolism and improved neuroprotection and have more antioxidant defenses and a better inflammatory status than males, which is associated with a more robust immune response than that of males. These differences are present from the early stages of life, being more relevant in adulthood and influencing the aging trajectory in each sex and may contribute to the different life lifespan between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz M Suarez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Estefania Diaz-Del Cerro
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Felix
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica Gonzalez-Sanchez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemi Ceprian
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Guerra-Perez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta G Novelle
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Martinez de Toda
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
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9
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Phung T, Ramzan F, Monks DA. Hormone-dependent sexual responses of female mice in response to manual genital stimulation. Horm Behav 2023; 151:105338. [PMID: 36868148 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Although copulatory behavior is thought to have a strong innate basis in mice, there is also clear evidence that sexual experience shapes its expression. Reinforcement of behavior through rewarding genital tactile stimulation is a primary candidate mechanism for this modification. In rats, manual tactile clitoral stimulation is rewarding only when it is temporally distributed, which is hypothesized to result from an innate preference for species-typical copulatory patterning. Here we test this hypothesis using mice, which have a temporal copulatory pattern which is distinctly less temporally distributed than that of rats. Female mice received manual clitoral stimulation which was either temporally continuous every second, or stimulation which was temporally distributed, occurring every 5 s, This pattern of stimulation was paired with environmental cues in a conditioned place preference apparatus to assess reward. Neural activation in response to this stimulation was evaluated by measuring FOS immunoreactivity. Results indicated that both temporal patterns of clitoral stimulation were rewarding, but that continuous stimulation better reproduced brain activation associated with sexual reward. Furthermore, continuous, but not distributed stimulation elicited a lordosis response in some females, and this response increased within and across days. Sexual reward, neural activation and lordosis resulting from tactile genital stimulation were eliminated by ovariectomy and restored with combined 17β-estradiol and progesterone treatment but not 17β-estradiol treatment alone. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that sexual reward resulting from species-typical genital tactile stimulation has a permissive effect on copulatory behavior of female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Phung
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Firyal Ramzan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada.
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Karigo T, Deutsch D. Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:949781. [PMID: 36426135 PMCID: PMC9679785 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.949781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating is essential for the reproduction of animal species. As mating behaviors are high-risk and energy-consuming processes, it is critical for animals to make adaptive mating decisions. This includes not only finding a suitable mate, but also adapting mating behaviors to the animal's needs and environmental conditions. Internal needs include physical states (e.g., hunger) and emotional states (e.g., fear), while external conditions include both social cues (e.g., the existence of predators or rivals) and non-social factors (e.g., food availability). With recent advances in behavioral neuroscience, we are now beginning to understand the neural basis of mating behaviors, particularly in genetic model organisms such as mice and flies. However, how internal and external factors are integrated by the nervous system to enable adaptive mating-related decision-making in a state- and context-dependent manner is less well understood. In this article, we review recent knowledge regarding the neural basis of flexible mating behaviors from studies of flies and mice. By contrasting the knowledge derived from these two evolutionarily distant model organisms, we discuss potential conserved and divergent neural mechanisms involved in the control of flexible mating behaviors in invertebrate and vertebrate brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Tomomi Karigo,
| | - David Deutsch
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,David Deutsch,
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Paced Mating Behaviour Is Influenced by Duration of Female Post-Ejaculatory Interval. J Sex Med 2022; 19:1506-1516. [PMID: 35995714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Laboratory paradigms that enable the female rat to control the frequency and temporal distribution of sexual stimulation are well-suited to gaining knowledge about female sexual function; however, the variety of procedures used influence the specific behaviors exhibited by female rats and bring uncertainty into the conclusions that can be drawn. AIM In this study, we evaluated the effects of test parameters on the display of paced mating behavior in female rats to develop better preclinical models for exploring female sexual health. METHODS Sexually experienced, estradiol- and progesterone-primed female rats were tested under paced mating conditions to determine whether sexual behavior differed as a function of number of male partners (1 or 3; Experiment 1), the time span between receipt of an ejaculation and the next intromission (ie, the post-ejaculatory interval or PEI; Experiment 2), or the duration of ejaculations (Experiment 3). OUTCOMES Contact-return latency, exit latency, and withdrawal duration after mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations. RESULTS The shorter withdrawal latency after intromission and longer return latency after ejaculation observed in 30-minute paced mating tests is best attributed to the female's PEI. The duration of the PEI is a specific factor that affects the display of paced mating behavior. CLINICAL TRANSLATION Understanding of neurobiological mechanisms and sensory factors influencing sexual behavior learned from these models can be applied to studies of human female sexual health. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS Sexual motivation is indicated by analogous behaviors and supported by evolutionarily conserved systems in women and rats, meaning that animal models can be used to identify neurobiological mechanisms subserving these behaviors. Nonetheless, data related specifically to physiological effects of different mating paradigms are needed in future research. CONCLUSION Procedures that mimic naturalistic settings, and thus enable female sexual motivation to drive behavior, are apt for studies aimed at understanding mechanisms supporting female sexual function whereas artificially lengthening the interval between an ejaculation and subsequent intromission may provide a model to study female sexual dysfunction.
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Lenschow C, Mendes ARP, Lima SQ. Hearing, touching, and multisensory integration during mate choice. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:943888. [PMID: 36247731 PMCID: PMC9559228 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.943888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a potent generator of diversity and a fundamental pillar for sexual selection and evolution. Mate choice is a multistage affair, where complex sensory information and elaborate actions are used to identify, scrutinize, and evaluate potential mating partners. While widely accepted that communication during mate assessment relies on multimodal cues, most studies investigating the mechanisms controlling this fundamental behavior have restricted their focus to the dominant sensory modality used by the species under examination, such as vision in humans and smell in rodents. However, despite their undeniable importance for the initial recognition, attraction, and approach towards a potential mate, other modalities gain relevance as the interaction progresses, amongst which are touch and audition. In this review, we will: (1) focus on recent findings of how touch and audition can contribute to the evaluation and choice of mating partners, and (2) outline our current knowledge regarding the neuronal circuits processing touch and audition (amongst others) in the context of mate choice and ask (3) how these neural circuits are connected to areas that have been studied in the light of multisensory integration.
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Behavioral, Neural, and Molecular Mechanisms of Conditioned Mate Preference: The Role of Opioids and First Experiences of Sexual Reward. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168928. [PMID: 36012194 PMCID: PMC9409009 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mechanisms of mate preference are thought to be relatively hard-wired, experience with appetitive and consummatory sexual reward has been shown to condition preferences for partner related cues and even objects that predict sexual reward. Here, we reviewed evidence from laboratory species and humans on sexually conditioned place, partner, and ejaculatory preferences in males and females, as well as the neurochemical, molecular, and epigenetic mechanisms putatively responsible. From a comprehensive review of the available data, we concluded that opioid transmission at μ opioid receptors forms the basis of sexual pleasure and reward, which then sensitizes dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin systems responsible for attention, arousal, and bonding, leading to cortical activation that creates awareness of attraction and desire. First experiences with sexual reward states follow a pattern of sexual imprinting, during which partner- and/or object-related cues become crystallized by conditioning into idiosyncratic “types” that are found sexually attractive and arousing. These mechanisms tie reward and reproduction together, blending proximate and ultimate causality in the maintenance of variability within a species.
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Adolescence and Postpartum: Two Life Periods to Deepen Our Understanding of the Complexity of Female Rat Sexual Behavior. SEXES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sexes3020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexual behavior of the female rat has been extensively studied and used as a model for human female sexuality. The development of models that focus on sexual interaction from the female’s perspective has demonstrated the complexity of this behavior, in which motivational and affective aspects have great relevance. This review describes, from a historical perspective, some of the studies that have shed light on this complexity and presents the potential of two periods in the female’s life to expand our understanding of sexual behavior: adolescence and postpartum estrus. Cycling adolescent female rats can express sexual behavior even though some of the underlying circuitry is still developing. Therefore, this is an ideal time for studying the ontogeny of sexual behavior, the interaction of sexual and social motivations, and the neuroendocrine changes that lead to adult behavior. Female rats also show a fertile estrus a few hours after parturition. During this period, rats are simultaneously sexually and maternally motivated, making postpartum estrus an excellent model for exploring the interaction of these two social motivations. What we know so far about female sexual behavior in these unique periods of life reaffirms its richness and shows that much remains to be known.
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Ågmo A, Laan E. Sexual incentive motivation, sexual behavior, and general arousal: Do rats and humans tell the same story? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104595. [PMID: 35231490 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sexual incentive stimuli activate sexual motivation and heighten the level of general arousal. The sexual motive may induce the individual to approach the incentive, and eventually to initiate sexual acts. Both approach and the ensuing copulatory interaction further enhance general arousal. We present data from rodents and humans in support of these assertions. We then suggest that orgasm is experienced when the combined level of excitation surpasses a threshold. In order to analyze the neurobiological bases of sexual motivation, we employ the concept of a central motive state. We then discuss the mechanisms involved in the long- and short-term control of that state as well as those mediating the momentaneous actions of sexual incentive stimuli. This leads to an analysis of the neurobiology behind the interindividual differences in responsivity of the sexual central motive state. Knowledge is still fragmentary, and many contradictory observations have been made. Nevertheless, we conclude that the basic mechanisms of sexual motivation and the role of general arousal are similar in rodents and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Ellen Laan
- Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Armas M, Marín G, Uriarte N, Agrati D. Increase in sexual motivation throughout adolescence in the cycling female rat. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22162. [PMID: 34278572 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Sexual behavior in the female rat is a highly motivated behavior first displayed during adolescence, a developmental period when neural circuits underlying motivation are not mature. This study characterizes the natural development of sexual motivation and behavior of female rats. We compared the incentive value of the male for mid-adolescent (PNDs:39-43), late adolescent (PNDs:49-53), and adult (PNDs:90-115) cycling females, using a male-female preference task and an ultrasonic vocalization emission test following exposure to a male or female stimulus animal. Furthermore, display of sexual and social behaviors during an interaction with a male or a nonreceptive female was assessed. Mid-adolescent rats exhibited a reduced preference for the male than adults and performed less attempts to access the male. Unlike late adolescent and adult females, mid-adolescent rats did not increase their ultrasonic vocalization emission after interacting with a male relative to a female. Although most of the sexual behavior did not differ between groups, mid-adolescent females showed lower lordosis magnitude and higher levels of play and social investigation during a sexual interaction, giving rise to a unique behavioral profile. Present results indicate that the sexual behavior repertoire is fully displayed by mid-adolescence, but sexual motivation is low and increases into late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Armas
- Sección Fisiología y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriella Marín
- Sección Fisiología y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Uriarte
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Daniella Agrati
- Sección Fisiología y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Lynch KS, Ryan MJ. Understanding the Role of Incentive Salience in Sexual Decision-Making. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 60:712-721. [PMID: 32483613 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the search for understanding female sexual decision-making, progress has been made in uncovering a variety of perceptual biases and most of these concern the animal's sensory biology and cognitive processes. We are now poised to dig deeper into the female's decision-making and ask if incentive salience, which plays a role in all types of appetitive behaviors, also influences a female's "taste for the beautiful." The incentive salience hypothesis suggests that dopamine assigns value or salience to objects or actions. After value is assigned to all potential actions, an action selection system then chooses among potential options to select the most valuable action. In this view, dopamine stimulates reward-seeking behavior by assigning incentive salience to specific behavioral actions, which in turn, increases pursuit and focus on objects or stimuli that represent the valuable action. Here, we apply this framework to understand why females are compelled to respond maximally to some male courtship signals over others and how this process may reveal a female's hidden mate preferences. We examine studies of dopamine and the mesolimbic reward system because these may play a role in expanding the female's perceptual landscape for novelty in male courtship signals and establishing novel hidden preferences. We review three avenues of research that may identify signatures of incentive salience in females during sexual decision-making. This review includes studies of dopamine agonist or antagonist administration in females during mate choice or partner preference tests, measures of neural activity in dopaminergic neural circuits during mate choice or partner preference tests, and social regulation of dopamine in females when entering reproductive contexts and/or exposure to mate signals. By applying the incentive salience hypothesis to female reproductive decision-making, it redefines how we see the female's role in sexual encounters. Females cannot be considered passive during reproductive encounters; rather they are seeking sexual encounters, particularly with males that tap into their perceptual biases and initiate a reward-seeking response. Incentive salience applied to reproductive behavior requires considering females as viewing sexual stimuli as rewarding and initiating action to seek out this reward, all of which indicates females are driving sexual encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen S Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hofstra University, 1000 Hempstead Turnpike, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Lough-Stevens M, Ghione CR, Urness M, Hobbs A, Sweeney CM, Dean MD. Male-derived copulatory plugs enhance implantation success in female Mus musculus. Biol Reprod 2021; 104:684-694. [PMID: 33355341 PMCID: PMC7962766 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Among a wide diversity of sexually reproducing species, male ejaculates coagulate to form what has been termed a copulatory plug. A number of functions have been attributed to copulatory plugs, including the inhibition of female remating and the promotion of ejaculate movement. Here we demonstrate that copulatory plugs also influence the likelihood of implantation, which occurs roughly 4 days after copulation in mice. Using a bead transfer method to control for differences in ejaculate retention and fertilization rates, we show that implantation rates significantly drop among females mated to genetically engineered males incapable of forming plugs (because they lack functional transglutaminase 4, the main enzyme responsible for its formation). Surprisingly, this result does not correlate with differences in circulating progesterone levels among females, an important hormone involved in implantation. We discuss three models that connect male-derived copulatory plugs to implantation success, including the hypothesis that plugs contribute to a threshold amount of stimulation required for females to become receptive to implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lough-Stevens
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Caleb R Ghione
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Urness
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adelaide Hobbs
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Colleen M Sweeney
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D Dean
- Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Díaz-Estrada VX, Barradas-Moctezuma M, Herrera-Covarrubias D, Manzo J, Coria-Avila GA. Nature and nurture of sexual partner preference: Teachings from prenatal administration of acetaminophen in male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104775. [PMID: 32422195 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The organizational-activational hypothesis indicates that activation of adult sexual behavior in males depends on organization of the masculine brain during the perinatal sensitive period. In the medial preoptic area such masculinization depends on a neuroendocrine cascade that includes exposure to testosterone, aromatization to estradiol, activation of estrogen receptors, synthesis of cyclooxygenase (COX), increase of prostaglandins, release of glutamate, and activation of AMPA receptors that result in the formation of more dendritic spines. Thus, in the present study we assessed the sexual partner preference (SPP) of adult male rats prenatally treated with acetaminophen (APAP), an analgesic/antipyretic drug that inhibits COX-2 and is commonly used and prescribed during pregnancy. Female rats received either saline (2 ml/kg s.c.) or APAP (50 mg/kg s.c.) every 12 h, during days 16-20 of pregnancy. At postnatal day PD60 half of the male offspring were exposed to sexual experience with receptive females during 5 trials, and the other half remained sexually naïve. At PD90 all them were tested for SPP with one sexually receptive female and one stud male. The results indicated that only APAP-naïve males failed to display SPP. However, APAP-experienced males displayed SPP for females. We discuss the effects of prenatal APAP in the disruption of unconditioned responses towards females (nature mechanisms), and the effects of sexual experience (nurture mechanisms) in the development of conditioned heterosexual preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- V X Díaz-Estrada
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - M Barradas-Moctezuma
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - D Herrera-Covarrubias
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - J Manzo
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - G A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
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20
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Frye CA, Qrareya A, Llaneza DC, Paris JJ. Central Actions of 3α,5α-THP Involving NMDA and GABA A Receptors Regulate Affective and Sexual Behavior of Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:11. [PMID: 32116591 PMCID: PMC7026732 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurosteroid, 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (known as “allopregnanolone” or 3α,5α-THP), is produced in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), independent of peripheral sources of progestogens, where it has potential actions at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and GABAA receptors to facilitate rodent sexual behavior. Progestogens can also have anti-anxiety effects, but whether these involve actions of centrally-derived 3α,5α-THP or these receptors to support reproductively-relevant behavior is not well understood. We investigated the extent to which 3α,5α-THP’s actions via NMDA and/or GABAA receptors in the midbrain VTA influence reproductive behaviors. Estradiol-primed, ovariectomized/adrenalectomized (OVX/ADX) rats received midbrain VTA infusions of vehicle, an NMDA receptor blocker (MK-801; 200 ng), or a GABAA receptor blocker (bicuculline; 100 ng) followed by a second infusion of vehicle or 3α,5α-THP (100 ng). Reproductively-relevant behaviors were assessed: sexual (paced mating), anxiety-like (elevated plus maze), and social (partner preference, social interaction) behavior. Compared to vehicle, intra-VTA infusions of MK-801 exerted anxiolytic-like effects on elevated plus maze behavior and enhanced lordosis. Unlike prior observations in gonadally-intact rats, intra-VTA bicuculline had no effect on the behavior of OVX/ADX rats (likely due to a floor effect). Subsequent infusions of 3α,5α-THP reversed effects on lordosis and infusions of bicuculline inhibited 3α,5α-THP-facilitated lordosis. Thus, NMDA and GABAA receptors may act as mediators for reproductive behavioral effects of 3α,5α-THP in the midbrain VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Frye
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States.,Biological Sciences, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States.,Centers for Neuroscience, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States.,Life Sciences Research, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States
| | - Alaa Qrareya
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States
| | - Danielle C Llaneza
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States
| | - Jason J Paris
- Department of Psychology, The University at Albany-The State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY, United States.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States
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21
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Ventura-Aquino E, Paredes RG. Sexual behavior in rodents: Where do we go from here? Horm Behav 2020; 118:104678. [PMID: 31927024 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hormones and Behavior was first published 50 years ago including some articles related to the hormonal regulation of sexual behavior in different species. Since then, this research field has produced outstanding discoveries that have contributed to our understanding of the control of sexual behavior. The refinement of classical techniques and the development of new experimental tools has opened the door to a new era of research that will allow us to understand different aspects of sexual behavior. It would also expand the possible extrapolation from animal models to understand human sexuality and its dysfunctions. In this review, we summarize some of the most recent findings about sexual behavior in both sexes including the refinement of classical methods of study with new approaches and questions as well as the development of new methods trying to explain mechanisms of action on motivational and consummatory elements of mating behavior. We also reviewed other aspects that modulate sexual behavior such as attractivity, olfactory signals and learning which model mate selection. Additionally, we described studies demonstrating that sexual behavior induces permanent brain modifications in neuronal circuits. Finally, we briefly describe recent contributions on animal models of human sexuality dysfunctions which, although with their own limitations, are under continuous refining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ventura-Aquino
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla UNAM. Querétaro, Qro, Mexico
| | - Raúl G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico; Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla UNAM. Querétaro, Qro, Mexico.
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22
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Mac Cionnaith CE, Lemay A, Gomez-Perales EL, Robert G, Cernik R, Brake WG, Pfaus JG. Fos expression is increased in oxytocin neurons of female rats with a sexually conditioned mate preference for an individual male rat. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104612. [PMID: 31647923 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests an important role of Pavlovian learning in sexual partner selection. Female rats that experience paced copulation with a male scented with a neutral odor selectively solicit and receive ejaculations from the scented male relative to an unscented male. Exposure to the conditioned odor alone induces Fos protein in regions of the brain associated with sexual excitation. Here we tested whether female rats can be conditioned to show a sexual preference for an unscented male rat of the same strain. Female Long-Evans rats were given 10 copulatory trials with either a one-hole pacing divider or a four-hole pacing divider in a unilevel chamber with the same conspecific male (n = 16). Females were then given an open-field partner preference test with the paired male versus a novel male. After two reconditioning trials females were exposed to the partner or a novel male to induce Fos expression. Females that paced with the one-hole divider received the first ejaculation and more ejaculations overall from the paired compared to novel male. Fos immunoreactivity within oxytocin neurons in the PVN, mPOA, and VMH was increased in females with a preference that were exposed to the paired male. These data indicate that female rats can form selective sexual preferences for an individual conspecific and that their formation depends on the type of pacing during conditioning. These findings further suggest the involvement of oxytocin in the display of conditioned preferences. Thus, early copulatory experience appears to determine the mating strategy used by female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conall E Mac Cionnaith
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Alice Lemay
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Eamonn L Gomez-Perales
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Genevieve Robert
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Rebecca Cernik
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Wayne G Brake
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - James G Pfaus
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193, Mexico
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Behavior is the ultimate arbiter: An alternative explanation for the inhibitory effect of fluoxetine on the ovulatory homolog model of orgasm in rabbits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25382-25383. [PMID: 31796602 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917908116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Moore KM, Oelberg WL, Glass MR, Johnson MD, Been LE, Meisel RL. Glutamate Afferents From the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Mediate Nucleus Accumbens Activation by Female Sexual Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:227. [PMID: 31636548 PMCID: PMC6787489 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Low levels of desire and arousal are the primary sexual dysfunctions in women, necessitating neurobiological studies of sexual motivation in female animal models. As the mesocorticolimbic system is a primary neural circuit underlying sexual motivation, the goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) glutamate mediates sexual behavior activation of the nucleus accumbens. Glutamatergic neurons in the mPFC were activated by sex behavior, and these sex-activated cells shown to project to the nucleus accumbens. During sexual interactions with the male, glutamate transients recorded in the nucleus accumbens of female hamsters were specifically associated with the receipt of intromissions from the male. Further, inhibition of the mPFC during sex significantly decreased nucleus accumbens activation. Glutamatergic medial prefrontal cortical input to the nucleus accumbens mediates the activity in the nucleus accumbens during female sexual behavior. These results offer novel insights into the neurobiology of the motivational control of female sexual behavior and provide attractive avenues for pursuing target-specific and clinically-relevant therapies for sexual dysfunction in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M. Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Wyatt L. Oelberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - M. Rose Glass
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, United States
| | - Matthew D. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Laura E. Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, United States
| | - Robert L. Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Guarraci FA, Frohardt RJ. "What a Girl Wants": What Can We Learn From Animal Models of Female Sexual Motivation? Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:216. [PMID: 31619975 PMCID: PMC6763560 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual motivation is notably different than other motivations such as hunger and thirst, because it lacks homeostatic drive. Sexual motivation poses no threat to physical well-being; individual survival is not at stake. Nevertheless, sexual motivation is a powerful drive and is critical for species survival. Understanding the complexity of sexual motivation has the potential to advance our understanding of other motivations, even pathological motivations, such as those associated with substance abuse. The study of motivation that is unique to females has often been neglected. A number of paradigms have been developed to investigate female sexual motivation beyond measuring only the lordosis reflex. Lordosis is a reflexive posture displayed by female mammals in response to male sexual stimulation to facilitate intromission. The lordosis reflex is essential, but studying the drive to mate is compromised in the absence of robust lordosis. Therefore, appetitive measures of sexual behavior (e.g., preferences, solicitation behaviors) are more specific and more sensitive indicators of sexual motivation than lordosis alone. Paradigms designed to study female sexual motivation often provide a female subject with the choice to interact with a sexually vigorous male or either a non-sexual partner (i.e., female, castrated male) or to remain alone. The study of appetitive measures of sexual motivation has elucidated the role of hormones in female sexual motivation, as well as the underlying neural pathways. The present review describes methods for studying female rats to advance our understanding of sexual motivation and sexual dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay A Guarraci
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, United States
| | - Russell J Frohardt
- Academic Success, Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Le Moëne O, Ågmo A. Modeling Human Sexual Motivation in Rodents: Some Caveats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:187. [PMID: 31507386 PMCID: PMC6719563 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual behavior is activated by motivation. An overwhelming majority of experimental studies of the intricacies of sexual motivation has been performed in rodents, most of them in rats. Sometimes it is desirable to generalize results obtained in this species to other species, particularly the human. It is hoped that studies of the neurobiology of rodent sexual behavior may shed light on the central nervous mechanisms operating in the human, and the search for efficient pharmacological treatments of human sexual dysfunctions relies partly on studies performed in rodents. Then the issue of generalizability of the rodent data to the human becomes crucial. We emphasize the importance of distinguishing between copulatory acts, behavior involving the genitals, and the preceding event, the establishment of physical contact with a potential mate. Comparisons between the structure of copulatory behavior in rats and humans show abysmal differences, but there may be some similarity in the underlying mechanisms. The endocrine control of sex behavior is shortly mentioned, and we also compare the effects of the few drugs known to affect both rodent and human copulatory behavior. The stimuli activating sexual motivation, often called desire in the human literature, are examined, and the sexual approach behaviors in rats and humans are compared. There is a striking similarity between these species in how these behaviors respond to drugs. It is then shown that the intensity of sexual approach is unrelated to the intensity of copulatory behavior. Even though the approach is a requisite for copulation, an activity that requires at least two individuals in close physical contact, these two aspects of sexuality do not covary. This is similar to the role of the testosterone in men and male rats: although the hormone is needed for sex behavior, there is no correlation between serum testosterone concentration and the intensity of copulation. It is also pointed out that human sexual behavior is mostly determined by social conventions, whereas this is not the case in rats and other rodents. It is concluded that some observations in rats can be generalized to the human, but extreme caution must be exercised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Le Moëne
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
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Hernández-Munive AK, Rebolledo-Solleiro D, Fernández-Guasti A. Does Chronic Hyperglycemia Affect Female Rat Sexual Behavior? Differences in Paced and Non-Paced Mating. J Sex Med 2019; 16:1130-1142. [PMID: 31277967 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus has been associated with sexual dysfunction; however, in women this relationship is controversial. A study using a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) failed to find a reduced receptivity in the non-paced mating (NPM), but the appetitive aspects of female sexual behavior have not been evaluated, for example, in the paced mating (PM) paradigm. AIM To evaluate all components of female sexual behavior (in NPM and PM) in a model of DM2 using ovariectomized (OVX) (treated with steroids) or intact female rats (non-OVX) in natural proestrus. METHODS Neonatal females (3-4 days) were administered streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or citrate buffer. At week 8, a glucose tolerance test was performed. At week 10, half of the females were OVX, and in the other half (non-OVX) the estrous cycle was monitored. At the twelfth week, the sexual behavior tests were conducted; OVX females were treated with estradiol benzoate (10 μg, -24 hours) and progesterone (3 mg, -4 hours), whereas the non-OVX were evaluated on vaginal proestrus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We registered in NPM and PM receptivity (lordosis quotient and intensity), as well as the number of proceptive and aggressive behaviors. Additionally, in PM we calculated the percentage of exits and the return latencies after receiving stimulation and the time the female remained in the male's compartment. RESULTS The STZ-treated females presented glucose intolerance and were hyperglycemic. Neonatal STZ treatment provoked changes in the females' sexual behavior depending on the paradigm and the hormonal condition. In the NPM, STZ-OVX females had decreased lordosis quotient and intensity and increased aggression, whereas, in the STZ-non-OVX females, there was a decrease in proceptivity; such changes were not observed in PM. Regardless of whether the STZ-treated females were OVX, they failed to perform the pacing behavior. CLINICAL IMPLICATION These data support the idea that chronic mild hyperglycemia, like that observed in DM2 (which represents 90% of the clinical cases), provokes marginal changes in most aspects of female sexual behavior. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS The main strength of this work is the evaluation of consummatory and motivational aspects of female sexual behavior in a model of DM2. The main limitation is the duration of the experimental design that does not resemble the course of the disease in humans. No histologic or biochemical analyses were performed. CONCLUSION These results suggest that chronic hyperglycemia produces decreases in sexual behavior. Hernández-Munive AK, Rebolledo-Solleiro D, Fernández-Guasti A. Does Chronic Hyperglycemia Affect Female Rat Sexual Behavior? Differences in Paced and Non-Paced Mating. J Sex Med 2019;16:1130-1142.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail K Hernández-Munive
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Coapa, México City, México
| | - Daniela Rebolledo-Solleiro
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Alonso Fernández-Guasti
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Coapa, México City, México.
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28
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Molina-Jiménez T, Jiménez-Tlapa M, Brianza-Padilla M, Zepeda RC, Hernández-González M, Bonilla-Jaime H. The neonatal treatment with clomipramine decreases sexual motivation and increases estrogen receptors expression in the septum of male rats: Effects of the apomorphine. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 180:83-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Domjan M, Gutiérrez G. The behavior system for sexual learning. Behav Processes 2019; 162:184-196. [PMID: 30831223 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we review and update evidence relevant to formulating a behavior system for sexual learning. We emphasize behavioral rather than neurobiological evidence and mechanisms. Our analysis focuses on three types of responses or response modes: general search, focal search, and consummatory or copulatory behavior. We consider how these response modes are influenced by three categories of stimuli: spatially distributed contextual cues, arbitrary localized stimuli, and species-typical cues provided by the sexual partner. We characterize behavior control by these types of stimuli before and after various Pavlovian conditioning procedures in which the unconditioned stimulus is provided by copulation with a sexual partner. The results document extensive Pavlovian modifications of sexual behavior. These conditioning effects reflect new conditioned responses that come to be elicited by various categories of stimuli. In addition, the conditioning of contextual cues and localized stimuli facilitate sexual responding to species-typical cues. Thus, learning experiences enhance how the species-typical cues of a sexual partner stimulate sexual behavior. These modulatory conditioning effects not only produce significant behavioral changes but also increase rates of fertilization of eggs and numbers of offspring produced. These latter findings suggest that sexual learning can lead to differential reproductive success, which in turn can contribute to evolutionary change.
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Arnold MR, Thallon CL, Pitkofsky JA, Meerts SH. Sexual experience confers resilience to restraint stress in female rats. Horm Behav 2019; 107:61-66. [PMID: 30528557 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
During paced mating, sexually experienced female rats spend more time with the male, return to the male more quickly after intromission, and exhibit shorter interintromission intervals as compared to sexually naïve rats. Factors that trigger the shift in paced mating behavior are unknown. The present study used the elevated plus maze to test whether anxiety-like behavior differs as a function of sexual experience. Ovariectomized, Long-Evans female rats were primed with estradiol benzoate plus progesterone (EB + P) and then either received four, twice weekly, paced mating treatments to gain sexual experience (Experienced) or remained sexually naïve (Naïve) but were exposed to an empty mating apparatus. In Experiment 1, anxiety-like behavior was compared between Experienced or Naïve female rats that were primed with either EB + P or oil. Significantly more time was spent in open arms under EB + P vs. oil, independent of sexual history. To test whether exposure to an acute stressor before elevated plus maze testing affected anxiety-like behavior, EB + P treated, Experienced or Naïve rats received paced mating (Experiment 2) or restraint (Experiment 3) immediately prior to the elevated plus maze task. Restraint, but not mating, led to less anxiety-like behaviors for Experienced rats compared to Naïve rats. Collectively, our data shows that one component of the shift in paced mating behavior that occurs with sexual experience appears to be altered stress responsiveness. We propose that mating is a beneficial stressor that, when repeated, increases the ability to cope with anxiety-producing events such as aversive components of mating or non-voluntary stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah R Arnold
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States of America
| | - Claire L Thallon
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States of America
| | - Joshua A Pitkofsky
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States of America
| | - Sarah H Meerts
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States of America.
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Piergies AMH, Hicks ME, Schwartz JP, Meerts SH. Sexually experienced, but not naïve, female rats show a conditioned object preference (COP) for mating after a single training trial. Physiol Behav 2018; 198:42-47. [PMID: 30290181 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Female rats with mating experience spend more time with the male rat, exhibit shorter contact-return latency to intromission, and display more proceptive behaviors in the male rat's compartment than during the first mating experience. The present study tested 1) whether mating induced conditioned object preference (COP) is possible with a single conditioning trial and 2) whether a preference is induced for an object associated with the first mating encounter or the fifth mating encounter in female rats. Ovariectomized, Long-Evans female rats were primed with estradiol benzoate + progesterone and either exposed to an empty paced mating chamber for 15 min (Naïve) or received a 15 intromission test of paced mating behavior (Experienced) on four separate occasions before undergoing the COP procedure. Experienced, but not Naïve, female rats developed a COP for a single mating bout, indicating that mating is highly rewarding for sexually experienced female rats. The findings raise questions about the effect of sexual experience on reward regions in the brain, the responsiveness of genital tissue, and learning mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurice E Hicks
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
| | - Jacob P Schwartz
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
| | - Sarah H Meerts
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States.
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Quintana GR, Jackson M, Nasr M, Pfaus JG. Effect of CS preexposure on the conditioned ejaculatory preference of the male rat: behavioral analyses and neural correlates. Learn Mem 2018; 25:513-521. [PMID: 30224554 PMCID: PMC6149952 DOI: 10.1101/lm.048108.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Early experiences with sexual reward play a pivotal role in the formation of sexual behavior and partner preference. Associations of salient partner cues, or even neutral cues on a partner, with sexual reward states are a product of Pavlovian learning. However, the extent to which first experiences that associate a neutral stimulus with no immediate consequence, and how that association may affect subsequent associability after being paired with a sexual reward state after copulation to ejaculation, remains unclear. To address this question, sexually naïve males were preexposed over one or five trials to almond scented gauze pads prior to training during which half of the males were trained 10 times with scented receptive females, and the other half with unscented receptive females. A final test of partner preference was conducted in a large open field containing two sexually receptive females, one scented and the other unscented. Males developed a conditioned ejaculatory preference for the type of female they were trained with, except when they were preexposed five times to the odor and then trained with females bearing the same odor, indicating a significant CS preexposure effect. One CS preexposure was not sufficient to inhibit subsequent conditioning. Exposure to the scent before perfusion for inmunohistochemistry, revealed different patterns of brain activation in brain areas previously associated with the development of partner preference, like the medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, basolateral amygdala, among others, depending on group membership. Thus, CS preexposure results in a subsequent impairment of the association that links the odor cue to sexual reward and preference. This highlights the impact of the first sexual experiences in future partner preference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Misha Jackson
- CSBN/Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Mojdeh Nasr
- CSBN/Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - James G Pfaus
- CSBN/Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
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Bedos M, Portillo W, Paredes RG. Neurogenesis and sexual behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 51:68-79. [PMID: 29438737 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Different conditions induce proliferation, migration and integration of new neurons in the adult brain. This process of neurogenesis is a clear example of long lasting plastic changes in the brain of different species. Sexual behavior is a motivated behavior that is crucial for the survival of the species, but an individual can spend all his life without displaying sexual behavior. In the present review, we briefly describe some of the effects of pheromones on neurogenesis. We review in detail studies describing the effects of sexual behavior in both males and females on proliferation, migration and integration of new cells and neurons. It will become evident that most of the studies have been done in rodents, assessing the effects of this behavior on neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and in the subventricular zone - rostral migratory stream - olfactory bulb system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bedos
- CONACYT - Instituto de Neurobiología - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, QRO, México
| | - W Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, QRO, México
| | - R G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, QRO, México.
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Rudzinskas SA, Mong JA. Methamphetamine alters DNMT and HDAC activity in the posterior dorsal medial amygdala in an ovarian steroid-dependent manner. Neurosci Lett 2018; 683:125-130. [PMID: 29944893 PMCID: PMC6102075 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychomotor stimulant associated with increased sexual drive and risky sexual behaviors in both men and women. Females are comparatively understudied, despite the fact that are just as likely as men to use methamphetamine. Importantly, Meth-associated sexual behaviors put female-users at a greater risk for unplanned pregnancies, and increase the risk of psychiatric co-morbidities such as depression. Our work in a rodent model has demonstrated that in the presence of the ovarian steroids, estradiol (EB) and progesterone (P), methamphetamine facilitates the activation of neurons of in the Medial Amygdala (MePD) and Ventromedial Nucleus of the Hypothalamus (VMN), nuclei that are integral to female sexual behavior. As methamphetamine has been previously associated with epigenetic changes in males, we hypothesized that methamphetamine may facilitate sexual motivation in females by modulating the amount of epigenetic enzymatic activity in the VMN and MePD. To test this hypothesis, histone deacetylase (HDAC) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity was quantitated in both the VMN and MePD in the presence and absence of methamphetamine in femalerats who were ovariectomized (OVX), or OVXed and hormone replaced with EB + P. DMNT1 and DNMT3B protein levels were also assessed. Our results show that methamphetamine alters DNMT and HDAC activity in the MePD in an ovarian steroid-dependent fashion. Both methamphetamine alone and EB + P alone significantly reduce DNMT enzymatic activity in an OVX female, but do not further decrease activity when both are given in combination. In contrast, no changes in HDAC or DNMT activity were seen in the VMN regardless of treatment, but the amount of DNMT3b after methamphetamine was significantly altered depending on the presence or absence of ovarian steroids. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that methamphetamine induces change on an epigenetic level in female rats in both a hormone and nucleus dependent manner, and suggests epigenetic changes may play a role in methamphetamine's mechanism to facilitate the sexual motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Rudzinskas
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
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Krishnan K, Mittal N, Thompson LM, Rodriguez-Santiago M, Duvauchelle CL, Crews D, Gore AC. Effects of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Vinclozolin and Polychlorinated Biphenyls, on Physiological and Sociosexual Phenotypes in F2 Generation Sprague-Dawley Rats. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:97005. [PMID: 30212226 PMCID: PMC6375392 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during gestation influences development of the F1 generation offspring and can result in disease and dysfunction in adulthood. Limited evidence suggests consequences on the F2 generation, exposed as germ cells within the F1 fetus. These F2s provide a unique window into the programming effects of EDCs. OBJECTIVE This study assessed intergenerational effects of EDC exposure on adult physiology and behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were exposed to either a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, Aroclor 1,221 (A1221), the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (VEH) (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil) alone. A1221 is weakly estrogenic, while VIN is antiandrogenic, enabling us to compare different classes of EDCs. The F1 male and female offspring were bred to generate the paternal- and maternal-lineage F2 generation. This F2 generation was assessed for physiological outcomes, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), and sexual behavior in adulthood. RESULTS Each EDC caused phenotypic effects in a sex- and lineage-dependent manner. The most robustly affected group was the paternal-lineage males. F2 VIN paternal male descendants had increased body weight throughout the lifespan, lower concentrations of circulating estradiol, and lower adrenal and testicular indices. Both VIN and A1221 paternal-lineage males also exhibited the greatest number of changes in the characteristics of USVs in response to an opposite-sex animal and changes in sexual behaviors in a mating test. CONCLUSION Exposure of rats to EDCs at the germ cell stage led to differences in the physiological and behavioral phenotype later in life, especially in males. This finding has implications for multigenerational physiological and reproductive health in wildlife and humans. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3550.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nitish Mittal
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Christine L Duvauchelle
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - David Crews
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 4 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 2 Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
- 3 Institute of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
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Ventura-Aquino E, Fernández-Guasti A, Paredes RG. Hormones and the Coolidge effect. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 467:42-48. [PMID: 28912031 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Coolidge effect is the renewal of sexual behavior after the presentation of a novel sexual partner and possibly occurs as the result of habituation and dishabituation processes. This re-motivation to copulate is well studied in males and is commonly related to sexual satiety, which involves several neurobiological changes in steroid receptors and their mRNA expression in the CNS. On the other hand, there are few reports studying sexual novelty in females and have been limited to behavioral aspects. Here we report that the levels of rat proceptive behavior, a sign of sexual motivation, declines after 4 h of continuous mating, particularly in females that were unable to regulate the time of mating. Such reduction was not accompanied by changes in lordosis, suggesting that they were not due to the vanishing of the endocrine optimal milieu necessary for the expression of both components of sexual behavior in the female rat. These and previous data support important differences between sexual behavior in both sexes that would result in natural divergences in the Coolidge effect expression. We here also review some reports in humans showing peculiarities between the pattern of habituation and dishabituation in women and men. This is a growing research field that needs emphasis in female subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ventura-Aquino
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico; Departamento de Farmacobiología, CINVESTAV-Sede Sur, Mexico.
| | | | - Raúl G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
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Alvarado-Martínez R, Paredes RG. Incorporation of new neurons in the olfactory bulb after paced mating in the female rat. Behav Brain Res 2018; 343:95-101. [PMID: 29425917 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
One of the regions that constantly produces neurogenesis in the adult brain is the subventricular zone (SVZ), whose new cells migrate to the olfactory bulbs (OB). When the females regulate the copulatory events (paced mating) the number of new cells in the SVZ increases, as well as those observed in the OB 15 days later. However, no changes were observed in the number of cells 45 days after the females paced the sexual interaction. Constant sensory stimulation is an important promoter of cell survival in the OB circuit. Hence, we increased the number of mating sessions in this study to cover the period where stimulation of the new cells is critical for their incorporation into pre-existing circuits in the OB. Ovariectomized female Wistar rats, were injected with the mitotic marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU, 100 mg/kg, per injection) before, at the end and one hour after mating. Sexual behavior was recorded for 1 h in 10 weekly sessions. After the last mating session, brain sections were processed to determine BrdU immunoreactivity. Our results indicate that females that paced the sexual interaction for 10 sessions had a higher number of cells in the glomerular layer (GL) of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and a higher number of neurons in the granular layer (GrL) of the main olfactory bulb (MOB) in comparison to the control group. These results indicate that continued sexual interaction contributes to the integration of new cells and neurons, induced in the first sexual experience, into pre-exiting circuits of the OB.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Alvarado-Martínez
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, 76230
| | - R G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, 76230.
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Hernández-Munive AK, Rebolledo-Solleiro D, Ventura-Aquino E, Fernández-Guasti A. Reduced Lordosis and Enhanced Aggression in Paced and Non-Paced Mating in Diabetic Female Rats. J Sex Med 2018; 15:124-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Ulloa M, Portillo W, Díaz NF, Young LJ, Camacho FJ, Rodríguez VM, Paredes RG. Mating and social exposure induces an opioid-dependent conditioned place preference in male but not in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Horm Behav 2018; 97:47-55. [PMID: 29111331 PMCID: PMC5803795 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In rodents, sexual stimulation induces a positive affective state that is evaluated by the conditioned place preference (CPP) test. Opioids are released during sexual behavior and modulate the rewarding properties of this behavior. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are a socially monogamous species, in which copulation with cohabitation for 6h induces a pair bond. However, the mating-induced reward state that could contribute to the establishment of the long-term pair bond has not been evaluated in this species. The present study aimed to determine whether one ejaculation or cohabitation with mating for 6h is rewarding for voles. We also evaluated whether this state is opioid dependent. Our results demonstrate that mating with one ejaculation and social cohabitation with mating for 6h induce a CPP in males, while exposure to a sexually receptive female without mating did not induce CPP. In the female vole, mating until one ejaculation, social cohabitation with mating, or exposure to a male without physical interaction for 6h did not induce CPP. To evaluate whether the rewarding state in males is opioid dependent, the antagonist naloxone was injected i.p. The administration of naloxone blocked the rewarding state induced by one ejaculation and by social cohabitation with mating. Our results demonstrate that in the prairie vole, on the basis of the CPP in the testing conditions used here, the stimulation received with one ejaculation and the mating conditions that lead to pair bonding formation may be rewarding for males, and this reward state is opioid dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ulloa
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - W Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230, Mexico.
| | - N F Díaz
- Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Montes Urales 800, Col. Lomas Virreyes, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico.
| | - L J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
| | - F J Camacho
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - V M Rodríguez
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - R G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
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Santoyo-Zedillo M, Portillo W, Paredes RG. Neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb induced by paced mating in the female rat is opioid dependent. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186335. [PMID: 29107945 PMCID: PMC5673160 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The possibility to control the rate of sexual stimulation that the female rat receives during a mating encounter (pacing) increases the number of newborn neurons that reach the granular layer of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). If females mate repeatedly, the increase in the number of neurons is observed in other regions of the AOB and in the main olfactory bulb (MOB). It has also been shown that paced mating induces a reward state mediated by opioids. There is also evidence that opioids modulate neurogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated whether the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (NX) could reduce the increase in neurogenesis in the AOB induced by paced mating. Ovariectomized female rats were randomly divided in 5 different groups: 1) Control (not mated) treated with saline, 2) control (not mated) treated with naloxone, 3) females that mated without controlling the sexual interaction (no-pacing), 4) females injected with saline before pacing the sexual interaction and 5) females injected with NX before a paced mating session. We found, as previously described, that paced mating induced a higher number of new cells in the granular layer of the AOB. The administration of NX before paced mating, blocked the increase in the number of newborn cells and prevented these cells from differentiating into neurons. These data suggest that opioid peptides play a fundamental role in the neurogenesis induced by paced mating in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianela Santoyo-Zedillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Raúl G. Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The hypothalamus is most often associated with innate behaviors such as is hunger, thirst and sex. While the expression of these behaviors important for survival of the individual or the species is nested within the hypothalamus, the desire (i.e., motivation) for them is centered within the mesolimbic reward circuitry. In this review, we will use female sexual behavior as a model to examine the interaction of these circuits. We will examine the evidence for a hypothalamic circuit that regulates consummatory aspects of reproductive behavior, i.e., lordosis behavior, a measure of sexual receptivity that involves estradiol membrane-initiated signaling in the arcuate nucleus (ARH), activating β-endorphin projections to the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), which in turn modulate ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) activity-the common output from the hypothalamus. Estradiol modulates not only a series of neuropeptides, transmitters and receptors but induces dendritic spines that are for estrogenic induction of lordosis behavior. Simultaneously, in the nucleus accumbens of the mesolimbic system, the mating experience produces long term changes in dopamine signaling and structure. Sexual experience sensitizes the response of nucleus accumbens neurons to dopamine signaling through the induction of a long lasting early immediate gene. While estrogen alone increases spines in the ARH, sexual experience increases dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens. These two circuits appear to converge onto the medial preoptic area where there is a reciprocal influence of motivational circuits on consummatory behavior and vice versa. While it has not been formally demonstrated in the human, such circuitry is generally highly conserved and thus, understanding the anatomy, neurochemistry and physiology can provide useful insight into the motivation for sexual behavior and other innate behaviors in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Micevych
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, United States.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN, United States
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Meerts SH, Anderson KS, Farry-Thorn ME, Johnson EG, Taxier L. Prepubertal ovariectomy modulates paced mating behavior but not sexual preference or conditioned place preference for mating in female rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 171:142-148. [PMID: 28082246 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated whether the presence or absence of peripubertal ovarian hormones affects sexual preference and conditioned place preference for paced mating in adult female rats primed with 10μg estradiol benzoate and 1mg progesterone. Ovariectomy (OVX) occurred either before or after pubertal development, and 4weeks later rats began a series of behavioral tests. Rats with ovaries removed before the pubertal timeframe (Prepubertal OVX) were more active, more likely to withdrawal from the male compartment, and did not discriminate between mounts and intromissions during paced mating relative to rats with ovaries during puberty (Adult OVX). Both Adult OVX and Prepubertal OVX rats showed a higher preference for the male when hormone primed vs. oil treated and a conditioned place preference for paced mating behavior. The results of the present study demonstrate that some, but not all, aspects of female sexual behavior require ovarian hormones during puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Meerts
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States.
| | - Kelly S Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
| | - Molly E Farry-Thorn
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
| | - Elliott G Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
| | - Lisa Taxier
- Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, United States
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Ramírez-Rodríguez R, Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran MB, Díaz-Estrada VX, Chena-Becerra F, Herrera-Covarrubias D, Paredes-Ramos P, Manzo J, Garcia LI, Coria-Avila GA. Heterosexual experience prevents the development of conditioned same-sex partner preference in male rats. Behav Processes 2017; 136:43-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Komine C, Nakajima S, Kondo Y, Horii Y, Yoshida M, Kawaguchi M. Effects of neonatal 17α-ethinyloestradiol exposure on female-paced mating behaviour in the rat. J Appl Toxicol 2017; 37:996-1003. [PMID: 28176338 DOI: 10.1002/jat.3449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Correct perinatal oestrogen levels are critical for sexual differentiation. For example, perinatal exposure to oestrogen causes masculinization and defeminization of the brain in female rats and also induces delayed effects after maturation characterized by early onset of abnormal oestrus cycling. However, the mechanisms underlying the above effects of oestrogen remain to be fully determined. 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE), a common synthetic oestrogen widely used in oral contraceptives, binds specifically to oestrogen receptors. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of a single neonatal injection of high- or low-dose EE on reproductive behaviours. Female rats within 24 h after birth were subcutaneously injected with sesame oil, EE (0.02, 2 mg kg-1 ) and 17β-oestradiol (E2 ) (20 mg kg-1 ). Between 11 and 15 weeks of age, sexual behaviour was tested twice in a paced mating situation. Latency to enter, lordosis and soliciting behaviour were recorded. Both high-dose EE- and E2 -treated females showed a significantly lower lordosis quotient, decreased soliciting behaviours, increased rejection and fighting numbers. Accessibility to males was also delayed by neonatal E2 exposure, although it was shortened by high-dose EE exposure. In contrast, low-dose EE-treated females did not exhibit impaired sexual behaviour. These results suggest that single neonatal exposure to a high dose of EE or E2 disturbs the normal development of the female brain, resulting in impaired sexual behaviours in a female-paced mating situation. Besides, the differences noted between high-dose EE- and E2 -treated females might be caused by different affinities of the oestrogen receptors, metabolic rates or mechanisms of action. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiaki Komine
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Shingo Nakajima
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Kondo
- Department of Animal Sciences, Teikyo University of Science, 2-2-1 Senju-Sakuragi, Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Horii
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Midori Yoshida
- National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maiko Kawaguchi
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
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Guarraci FA, Meerts SH. Does Practice Make Perfect? Sexual Experience and Psychomotor Stimulants Influence Female Sexual Motivation Through Medial Preoptic Area Dopamine. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-017-0102-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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47
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Animal Models in Sexual Medicine: The Need and Importance of Studying Sexual Motivation. Sex Med Rev 2017; 5:5-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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48
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Agrati D, Ferreño M, Marin G, Uriarte N, Zuluaga MJ, Fernández-Guasti A, Ferreira A. Previous and recent maternal experiences modulate pups' incentive value relative to a male without affecting maternal behavior in postpartum estrous rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 110:140-148. [PMID: 27847258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study extends the behavioral analysis of the postpartum estrus (PPE) which represents a unique period in the female rat's lifetime when maternal and sexual motivations co-exist. The aim of this study was to explore how previous and recent maternal experiences influence the maternal responses to pups when confronted with a male in a preference test or when they are presented independently in the home cage. To achieve this objective, we firstly compared the maternal behavior in the home cage and the preference for pups or a male in a Y-maze of primiparous and multiparous females approximately twelve hours after delivery. No differences were observed in the active and passive components of the maternal behavior of primiparous and multiparous rats; however second-time mothers made more efforts to gain access to the pups and tended to spend more time with them in the Y-maze than maternally inexperienced dams. In a second experiment, we assessed the influence of recent maternal experience with pups on PPE females' behavior by comparing pups vs. male preference and maternal behavior of females that had experienced continuous or limited (approximately two hours) interaction with their litters after parturition was completed. PPE rats subjected to reduced interaction with their pups preferred the male, while females continuously exposed to pups chose them over the male. This change in females' preference was not accompanied by significant alterations of maternal performance in the home cage, although anogenital licking tended to decrease in females with limited mother-litter interaction. Together, the results of these experiments indicate that previous and recent maternal experiences influence the motivational responses of PPE females, and that these effects are more evident when both motivations compete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Agrati
- Seccion Fisiologia y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Marcela Ferreño
- Seccion Fisiologia y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriella Marin
- Seccion Fisiologia y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Uriarte
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María José Zuluaga
- Seccion Fisiologia y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Annabel Ferreira
- Seccion Fisiologia y Nutricion, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Gomez A, Petrucci AN, Dance L, Morales-Valenzuela J, Gibbs N, Dahlhausen CC, Villatoro JR, Frohardt RF, Guarraci FA. An acute, non-therapeutic dose of methylphenidate disrupts partner preference in female rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 150-151:100-107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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50
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Pfaus JG, Quintana GR, Mac Cionnaith C, Parada M. The whole versus the sum of some of the parts: toward resolving the apparent controversy of clitoral versus vaginal orgasms. SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 6:32578. [PMID: 27791968 PMCID: PMC5084726 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.32578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nature of a woman's orgasm has been a source of scientific, political, and cultural debate for over a century. Since the Victorian era, the pendulum has swung from the vagina to the clitoris, and to some extent back again, with the current debate stuck over whether internal sensory structures exist in the vagina that could account for orgasms based largely on their stimulation, or whether stimulation of the external glans clitoris is always necessary for orgasm. METHOD We review the history of the clitoral versus vaginal orgasm debate as it has evolved with conflicting ideas and data from psychiatry and psychoanalysis, epidemiology, evolutionary theory, feminist political theory, physiology, and finally neuroscience. RESULTS A new synthesis is presented that acknowledges the enormous potential women have to experience orgasms from one or more sources of sensory input, including the external clitoral glans, internal region around the "G-spot" that corresponds to the internal clitoral bulbs, the cervix, as well as sensory stimulation of non-genital areas such as the nipples. CONCLUSIONS With experience, stimulation of one or all of these triggering zones are integrated into a "whole" set of sensory inputs, movements, body positions, autonomic arousal, and partner- and contextual-related cues, that reliably induces pleasure and orgasm during masturbation and copulation. The process of integration is iterative and can change across the lifespan with new experiences of orgasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada;
| | - Gonzalo R Quintana
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Conall Mac Cionnaith
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mayte Parada
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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