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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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Liang CC, Shaw SWS, Chou HH, Huang YH, Lee TH. Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Improve Rat Bladder Dysfunction After Pelvic Nerve Transection. Cell Transplant 2021; 29:963689720909387. [PMID: 32452747 PMCID: PMC7444231 DOI: 10.1177/0963689720909387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) transplantation on bladder dysfunction after pelvic nerve transection (PNT) remain to be clarified. Five groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats were studied including sham operation, unilateral PNT alone or plus hAFSCs transplantation, and bilateral PNT alone or plus hAFSCs transplantation. hAFSCs were injected at the site of PNT. Cystometries, neurofilament density within bladder nerves, and the expressions of bladder protein gene-product 9.5 (PGP9.5), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), nerve growth factor (NGF), p75 (NGF receptor), CXCL12, CCL7, and enkephalin were studied. Compared to sham-operation group, bladder weight increased and neurofilament density decreased at 10 and 28 days after unilateral and bilateral PNT, but all improved after hAFSCs transplantation. Unilateral PNT could increase bladder capacity, residual volume, and number of nonvoiding contractions but decrease peak voiding pressure and leak point pressure. Bilateral PNT caused overflow incontinence and increased the number of nonvoiding contractions. These cystometric parameters improved after hAFSCs transplantation. After PNT, bladder PGP9.5 mRNA and immunoreactivities decreased at 10 and 28 days, GAP-43 mRNA and immunoreactivities increased at 10 days and decreased at 28 days, both NGF and p75 mRNAs and immunoreactivities increased at 10 and/or 28 days, and enkephalin immunoreactivities decreased at 10 and 28 days, but these were all improved after hAFSCs transplantation. Our results showed that bladder dysfunction induced by PNT could be improved by hAFSCs transplantation, and PGP9.5, GAP-43, and neurotrophins could be involved in the mechanisms of nerve regeneration after hAFSCs transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Chung Liang
- Female Urology Section, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan
| | - Sheng-Wen Steven Shaw
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan.,Division of Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei.,Prenatal Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hung-Hsueh Chou
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan.,Gynecologic Oncology Section, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan
| | - Yung-Hsin Huang
- Female Urology Section, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan
| | - Tsong-Hai Lee
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan.,Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan
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3
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Guarraci FA, Ali M, Gonzalez CMF, Lucero D, Clemons LW, Davis LK, Henneman EL, Odell SE, Meerts SH. I. Antidepressants and sexual behavior: Weekly ketamine injections increase sexual behavior initially in female and male rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 199:173039. [PMID: 32926881 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study characterized the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual behavior and anxiety in female and male rats, using a dosing protocol that mimics human therapeutic treatment for depression. In Experiment 1A, ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline was injected once per week for four consecutive weeks. The partner preference paradigm was used to measure sexual motivation 30 min after each weekly injection. Briefly, subjects were first given a 10-min test during which they could choose to spend time in the vicinity of a sexually receptive female stimulus or a sexually experienced male stimulus, however physical contact was restricted (no-contact). Immediately after, subjects were given unrestricted access to the stimulus animals (contact). After a washout period, subjects received four additional weekly injections of ketamine or saline, and then were tested for anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze (EPM) after the last injection (Experiment 1B). For Experiment 2, similar procedures were used to test the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual motivation (Experiment 2A) and anxiety (Experiment 2B) in male subjects. In female subjects, ketamine increased sexual motivation as measured by greater time spent with the male stimulus, decreased likelihood of leaving after receiving mounts, and shorter return latencies after receiving intromissions, when compared to saline controls. In male subjects, ketamine shortened latency to first mount and first intromission, as well as increased time spent with the female stimulus. Very little anxiety was observed in either group (ketamine or saline) of female or male subjects when tested on the EPM. In conclusion, even after four weeks of ketamine exposure, sexual dysfunction did not emerge in either females or males. In contrast, ketamine increased sexual motivation in both females and males, with an initial robust response. However, as both groups gained sexual experience, the impact of ketamine diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay A Guarraci
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA.
| | - Maryam Ali
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA
| | | | - Devon Lucero
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA
| | - Larry W Clemons
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA
| | - Lourdes K Davis
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA
| | | | - Shannon E Odell
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626, USA
| | - Sarah H Meerts
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057, USA
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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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5
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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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6
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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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7
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Electroencephalographic coupling in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in relation to the estrous cycle and duration of vaginocervical stimulation in the rat. Brain Res 2016; 1652:81-88. [PMID: 27687739 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The influence of the duration of vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) on the electroencephalographic activity (EEG) of medial amygdala (MeA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in rats during proestrus-estrus (P-E) and diestrus (D) was examined. Using a glass syringe plunger, a constant force of 300g was exerted against the cervix during 60s. Relative power (RP) and correlation of three EEG band frequencies were compared between the first and last 30s intervals of VCS. A higher RP of the 4-7Hz band and a lower RP of the fast frequencies were observed in the MeA and PFC in P-E females during the first 30s of VCS as compared to the last 30s. Only during P-E, a higher interamygdaline correlation in the 8-12Hz band and a lower correlation in the 13-21Hz band during the first 30s were observed. Similarly, a higher interamygdaline correlation in the 8-12Hz band was observed during the first 30s of VCS during P-E as compared to D. During the last 30s of VCS there was no difference between phases. The VCS evoked EEG changes in the MeA that varied between phases of the estrous cycle and depended on the duration of the stimulation. These effects could be associated with the quantification processes of VCS that has been proposed to occur in the amygdala. These findings show differential responsiveness of the MeA and PFC according to the amount of VCS received, and that the response varies according to the estrous cycle.
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Pfaus JG, Scardochio T, Parada M, Gerson C, Quintana GR, Coria-Avila GA. Do rats have orgasms? SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 6:31883. [PMID: 27799081 PMCID: PMC5087696 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.31883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although humans experience orgasms with a degree of statistical regularity, they remain among the most enigmatic of sexual responses; difficult to define and even more difficult to study empirically. The question of whether animals experience orgasms is hampered by similar lack of definition and the additional necessity of making inferences from behavioral responses. METHOD Here we define three behavioral criteria, based on dimensions of the subjective experience of human orgasms described by Mah and Binik, to infer orgasm-like responses (OLRs) in other species: 1) physiological criteria that include pelvic floor and anal muscle contractions that stimulate seminal emission and/or ejaculation in the male, or that stimulate uterine and cervical contractions in the female; 2) short-term behavioral changes that reflect immediate awareness of a pleasurable hedonic reward state during copulation; and 3) long-term behavioral changes that depend on the reward state induced by the OLR, including sexual satiety, the strengthening of patterns of sexual arousal and desire in subsequent copulations, and the generation of conditioned place and partner preferences for contextual and partner-related cues associated with the reward state. We then examine whether physiological and behavioral data from observations of male and female rats during copulation, and in sexually-conditioned place- and partner-preference paradigms, are consistent with these criteria. RESULTS Both male and female rats display behavioral patterns consistent with OLRs. CONCLUSIONS The ability to infer OLRs in rats offers new possibilities to study the phenomenon in neurobiological and molecular detail, and to provide both comparative and translational perspectives that would be useful for both basic and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada;
| | - Tina Scardochio
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mayte Parada
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Laboratory for the Biopsychosocial Study of Sexuality, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christine Gerson
- 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
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER, México
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9
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Guterl SA, McNamara TA, Klumpp GC, Meerts SH. Female rats express a conditioned object preference for receipt of sexual stimulation. Physiol Behav 2015; 151:320-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Marson L, Giamberardino MA, Costantini R, Czakanski P, Wesselmann U. Animal Models for the Study of Female Sexual Dysfunction. Sex Med Rev 2015; 1:108-122. [PMID: 27784584 DOI: 10.1002/smrj.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Significant progress has been made in elucidating the physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of female sexual function through preclinical animal research. The continued development of animal models is vital for the understanding and treatment of the many diverse disorders that occur in women. AIM To provide an updated review of the experimental models evaluating female sexual function that may be useful for clinical translation. METHODS Review of English written, peer-reviewed literature, primarily from 2000 to 2012, that described studies on female sexual behavior related to motivation, arousal, physiological monitoring of genital function and urogenital pain. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Analysis of supporting evidence for the suitability of the animal model to provide measurable indices related to desire, arousal, reward, orgasm, and pelvic pain. RESULTS The development of female animal models has provided important insights in the peripheral and central processes regulating sexual function. Behavioral models of sexual desire, motivation, and reward are well developed. Central arousal and orgasmic responses are less well understood, compared with the physiological changes associated with genital arousal. Models of nociception are useful for replicating symptoms and identifying the neurobiological pathways involved. While in some cases translation to women correlates with the findings in animals, the requirement of circulating hormones for sexual receptivity in rodents and the multifactorial nature of women's sexual function requires better designed studies and careful analysis. The current models have studied sexual dysfunction or pelvic pain in isolation; combining these aspects would help to elucidate interactions of the pathophysiology of pain and sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Basic research in animals has been vital for understanding the anatomy, neurobiology, and physiological mechanisms underlying sexual function and urogenital pain. These models are important for understanding the etiology of female sexual function and for future development of pharmacological treatments for sexual dysfunctions with or without pain. Marson L, Giamberardino MA, Costantini R, Czakanski P, and Wesselmann U. Animal models for the study of female sexual dysfunction. Sex Med Rev 2013;1:108-122.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Marson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | | | | | - Peter Czakanski
- University of Alabama at Birmingham-Departments of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ursula Wesselmann
- University of Alabama at Birmingham-Departments of Anesthesiology and Neurology, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Meerts SH, Strnad HK, Schairer RS. Paced mating behavior is affected by clitoral-vaginocervical lidocaine application in combination with sexual experience. Physiol Behav 2015; 140:222-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Jones SL, Pfaus JG. Sensitization of sexual behaviors in ovariectomized Long-Evans rats is induced by a subthreshold dose of estradiol benzoate and attenuated by repeated copulation. Horm Behav 2014; 66:655-62. [PMID: 25251978 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ovariectomy (OVX) abolishes the expression sexual behaviors in the rat, but they can be fully reinstated by sequential administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) followed by progesterone (P). When administered alone, 5 or 10 μg EB (but not 2 μg) acutely induce only low levels of lordosis, whereas repeated administration potentiates lordosis and induces sexually appetitive behaviors (e.g., hops, darts, solicitations, ear wiggles). The mechanisms mediating this behavioral sensitization are poorly understood, and it is not clear whether stimulation from the male during repeated copulation plays a role. OVX Long-Evans rats were given 4 sexual training sessions with EB (10 μg) and P (500 μg) 48 and 4h prior to testing, respectively, in a unilevel 4-hole pacing chamber followed by a 2-week hormone washout. Females were then treated with 2 μg or 10 μg EB 48 h prior to copulation on Tests 1 and 8. On Tests 2-7, a group of females was treated with 10 μg EB and allowed to copulate with a male (10 μg EB/Male, n = 16), or treated with 2 μg or 10 μg EB and placed in the chamber alone (2 μg EB/Alone, n = 6; 10 μg EB/Alone, n = 18). A negative control group was treated with the oil vehicle and placed in the chamber alone (Oil/Alone, n = 6) on Tests 2-7, but treated with 2 μg EB prior to copulatory Tests 1 and 8. All groups, except Oil, displayed behavioral sensitization to EB, suggesting that repeated administration EB is both necessary and sufficient to induce sensitization. Appetitive behaviors were attenuated in those that copulated on every session. Pacing was disrupted in all groups. Together these results suggest that EB activates excitatory mechanisms to promote the expression of sexual behaviors, which are potentiated across time under certain conditions. In contrast, copulatory stimulation attenuates behavioral sensitization to EB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Lee Jones
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
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13
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Clitoral anesthesia disrupts paced copulation in the female rat. Physiol Behav 2014; 123:180-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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14
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De Lorme KC, Bell MR, Sisk CL. Maturation of social reward in adult male Syrian hamsters does not depend on organizational effects of pubertal testosterone. Horm Behav 2012; 62:180-5. [PMID: 22796547 PMCID: PMC3422665 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The rewarding value of female sexual stimuli develops across puberty, as sexually-naïve adult, but not prepubertal, male hamsters show a conditioned place preference (CPP) for both vaginal secretions and a receptive female. Similarly, only adults show an endogenous testosterone surge when they encounter vaginal secretions. Testosterone by itself can condition a place preference in male rodents. Therefore, Experiment 1 assessed whether the endogenous testosterone surge elicited by vaginal secretions is necessary to show a CPP. Both gonad-intact and gonadectomized, testosterone-treated adult males showed a CPP for vaginal secretions, indicating that the rewarding value of this social cue is independent of an endogenous testosterone surge. However, organizational effects of pubertal testosterone could be necessary for adolescent development of social reward, as pubertal testosterone organizes adult-typical expression of sexual behavior. To investigate this possibility, in Experiment 2, sexually-naïve prepubertal and adult male hamsters were gonadectomized and received testosterone-filled capsules four weeks later. Testing began after two weeks of testosterone replacement. Adult males showed a CPP for both vaginal secretions and a receptive female, whether or not they experienced pubertal testosterone. Thus, the acquisition of positive valence of sexual stimuli is not organized by pubertal testosterone. Taken together, the ability of female sexual stimuli to serve as an unconditioned reward to adult male hamsters is independent of the chemosensory-induced endogenous testosterone surge and also organizational effects of pubertal testosterone. Instead, sexual reward may be dependent either on activational effects of testosterone or gonadal hormone-independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla C De Lorme
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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15
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Corona R, Camacho FJ, García-Horsman P, Guerrero A, Ogando A, Paredes RG. Different doses of estradiol benzoate induce conditioned place preference after paced mating. Horm Behav 2011; 60:264-8. [PMID: 21712041 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2011] [Revised: 05/26/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone are required for the complete display of sexual behavior in female rats. Paced mating produces a reward state in intact cycling and ovariectomized (OVX), hormonally primed females as evaluated by the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Most of the studies that have evaluated CPP induced by paced mating in OVX females have used relatively high doses of estradiol benzoate (EB). In the present study we determined if different doses of EB, combined with progesterone (P), could induce CPP after paced mating. For this purpose OVX female rats were divided in five groups that received one of different doses of estradiol benzoate (5, 2.5, 1.25 or 0.625 μg estradiol+0.5mg of progesterone) before being allowed to pace the sexual interaction and conditioned in a CPP paradigm. We found that the lowest dose of EB used (0.625 μg) significantly reduced the lordosis quotient and the lordosis coefficient. Even though these females paced the sexual interaction, they didn't change its original preference, suggesting that sexual interaction did not induce a positive affective, reward state. Females allowed to pace the sexual interaction with higher doses of EB developed CPP after paced mating. These results indicate that a threshold of estradiol is required for paced mating to induce CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Corona
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
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Bell MR, Meerts SH, Sisk CL. Male Syrian hamsters demonstrate a conditioned place preference for sexual behavior and female chemosensory stimuli. Horm Behav 2010; 58:410-4. [PMID: 20515693 PMCID: PMC2919302 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Revised: 05/24/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sexual behavior is a natural reward for many rodent species, and it often includes chemosensory-directed components. Chemosensory stimuli themselves may also be rewarding. Conditioned place preference (CPP) is one paradigm frequently used to test the rewarding properties of a range of stimuli. Males and females of several rodent species show a CPP for sexual behavior; however, it is currently unknown whether sexual behavior can induce a CPP in male Syrian hamsters. As male Syrian hamsters are an animal model commonly used for investigation of the neurobiology of sexual behavior, understanding the rewarding components of sexual stimuli will better direct future research on brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in these behaviors. Experiment 1 tested the prediction that male hamsters show a CPP for sexual behavior. Female chemosensory stimuli are essential for the display of sexual behavior in male hamsters; however, the rewarding properties of female chemosensory stimuli contained in vaginal secretions (VS) are uncertain. Therefore, experiment 2 tested the prediction that male hamsters show a CPP for VS. This study is the first demonstration that both sexual behavior and VS induce a CPP in male hamsters. Thus, female chemosensory stimuli are a natural reward in a species that is dependent on these stimuli for reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R Bell
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Meerts SH, Boisvert EM, Spjut KA, Clark AS. Paced mating behavior persists in rats with vaginocervical Lidocaine. Physiol Behav 2010; 99:139-41. [PMID: 19840811 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Revised: 09/25/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The present study tested whether the topical application of a local anesthetic (Lidocaine) to the vaginocervical region altered the pattern of paced mating behavior displayed by gonadectomized, hormone-primed female rats. Both rats receiving Lidocaine and rats receiving vehicle exhibited the expected lengthening of contact-return latency as the intensity of the mating stimuli increased (mount<intromission<ejaculation). Although rats given Lidocaine versus vehicle received a greater number of intromissions, no other group differences were observed. The present study found no evidence for a change in behavioral responsiveness following the vaginocervical application of Lidocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Meerts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH 03755, United States
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