title: Morphine and naloxone's effects on sexual behavior of the female golden hamster.
abstract: The effects of morphine and naloxone were observed after administration to female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Large doses of morphine, 80 mg/kg, consistently produced sedation and behavioral depression of responses to nociceptive stimuli. Smaller doses of morphine (e.g., 10 mg/kg), that produced few other behavioral changes, suppressed a measure of female sexual responding. The suppressive effects on sexual behavior were reversed by 4 mg/kg of naloxone. Morphine administered intracerebroventricularly had little effect on sexual responding, even at doses which produced other side effects. Doses of 4 and 8 mg/kg of naloxone in opioid-naive subjects did not reliably alter sexual responding up to 2 hr after administration. These observations lead to the suggestion that morphine produces effects which are incompatible with full sexual functioning in female hamsters.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D006224:Cricetinae; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine