Methamphetamine facilitates female sexual behavior and enhances neuronal activation in the medial amygdala and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus

Holder, Mary K.; Hadjimarkou, Maria M.; Zup, Susan L.; Blutstein, Tamara; Benham, Rebecca S.; McCarthy, Margaret M.; Mong, Jessica A.

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.06.005

Cited by 58 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Sensitizing pretreatments of D-amphetamine (10 daily injections of 1.5 mg/kg) facilitate sexual behavior (Fiorino and Phillips, 1999a,b) as well as approach behavior to sexual stimuli (Nocjar and Panksepp, 2002). Studies in female rats pretreated with Meth (three daily injections of 5 mg/kg) resulted in increased receptive behaviors (Holder et al, 2010). In contrast, the current study did not show effects of a sensitizing regiment of Meth treatment on sexual behavior.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

Concurrent Exposure to Methamphetamine and Sexual Behavior Enhances Subsequent Drug Reward and Causes Compulsive Sexual Behavior in Male Rats

Frohmader¹,

Lehman²,

Laviolette³

et al. 2011

J. Neurosci.

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Methamphetamine (Meth) users report having heightened sexual pleasure, numerous sexual partners, and engaging in unprotected sex due to loss of inhibitory control. This compulsive sexual behavior contributes to increased prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, but the neural basis for this is unknown. We previously established a paradigm for compulsive sexual behavior in male rats in which visceral illness induced by lithium chloride was paired with sexual behavior (

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

Concurrent Exposure to Methamphetamine and Sexual Behavior Enhances Subsequent Drug Reward and Causes Compulsive Sexual Behavior in Male Rats

Frohmader¹,

Lehman²,

Laviolette³

et al. 2011

J. Neurosci.

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“…Similarly, hypocretin peptides increase overall CNS arousal and microinjections of hypocretin into the medial preoptic area increase male sexual behavior (22). The inverse example also provides evidence for the same point, anesthetics administered before priming doses of estradiol prevent the expression of lordosis behavior and the induction of mating-related genes (30, 31) whereas amphetamine administration facilitates estrogenic induction of mating (32). Taken together, these data forge a link between sexual behavior and generalized arousal and indicate potential mechanisms by which genetic selection for high generalized arousal could impact specific arousal states such as sex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Impact of generalized brain arousal on sexual behavior

Weil

Zhang

Hornung

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Although there is an extensive amount known about specific sensory and motor functions of the vertebrate brain, less is understood about the regulation of global brain states. We have recently proposed that a function termed generalized arousal (Ag) serves as the most elemental driving force in the nervous system, responsible for the initial activation of all behavioral responses. An animal with increased generalized CNS arousal is characterized by greater motor activity, increased responsivity to sensory stimuli, and greater emotional lability. Implicit in this theory was the prediction that increases in generalized arousal would augment specific motivated behaviors that depend on arousal. Here, we address the idea directly by testing two lines of mice bred for high or low levels of generalized arousal and assessing their responses in tests of specific forms of behavioral arousal, sex and anxiety/ exploration. We report that animals selected for differential generalized arousal exhibit marked increases in sensory, motor, and emotional reactivity in our arousal assay. Furthermore, male mice selected for high levels of generalized arousal were excitable and showed more incomplete mounts before the first intromission (IN), but having achieved that IN, they exhibited far fewer IN before ejaculating, as well as ejaculating much sooner after the first IN, thus indicating a high level of sexual arousal. Additionally, high-arousal animals of both sexes exhibited greater levels of anxiety-like behaviors and reduced exploratory behavior in the elevated plus maze and light-dark box tasks. Taken together, these data illustrate the impact of Ag on motivated behaviors.anxiety | behavioral genetics | generalized arousal | male sexual behavior O ne of the basic challenges facing all vertebrate animals is the necessity to activate large numbers of behavioral responses to large numbers of environmental conditions, some of which are threatening. We have recently proposed (1) that a function exists in vertebrate nervous systems that initiates behavioral activation of large numbers of responses to meet this basic challenge, a function we have termed generalized arousal. Neurons serving generalized arousal mechanisms would receive sensory inputs both from the external environment and the internal milieu and be able rapidly to activate arousal states that empower more specific, motivated behavioral responses. An increase in activity of this system would elevate generalized arousal, producing an animal with more motor activity, greater sensory responsiveness, and increased emotional lability. The purpose of the work reported here was to add to the evidence that a generalized arousal function exists (by beginning the breeding of high and low arousal lines of mice) and to test the impact of high or low generalized arousal states on specific motivated behaviors: male sexual behavior and anxiety/exploration.So far, the existence of generalized arousal as a measurable and physiologically-relevant CNS state has been inferred from three sepa...

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“…Based on the cytoarchitectual criteria, the medial amygdaloid nucleus can be subdivided into a principal body, a smaller anteroventral part and a posterodorsal part at the caudal end. Functionally, it may be involved in odor discrimination and in mediating sexual behavior (delBarco-Trillo et al, 2009;Holder et al, 2010). The medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis can be divided into an anterior, a ventral and a posterior part.…”

Section: The Extended Amygdalamentioning

confidence: 99%