title: Failure of a tryptophan-free amino acid mixture to modify sexual behavior in the female rat.
abstract: Female Wistar rats, weekly injected with estradiol valerate after ovariectomy, were trained to cause a sexual contact with a potent male by operating a lever. Contact-response latencies, which vary according to the nature of the sexual contact, were measured as an index of the female's sexual motivation. In these experimental conditions the administration of a tryptophan-free amino acid mixture, which has been proved to decrease brain serotonin and to enhance male mounting behavior, failed to modify the sexual motivation of the female rats.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Medical Psychology II, Medical School, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Moja
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan