title: Effects of short- and long-term REM sleep deprivation on sexual behavior in male rats.
abstract: The influence of selective REM sleep deprivation on masculine sexual behavior has been a matter of controversy. In the present study, the sexual behavior of male rats was analyzed in subjects deprived on REM sleep by the island technique for 24 or 16 h daily during 20 days. When compared to control rats, both groups displayed changes in sexual performance since the first day. The effects were: an increase in mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies and in mount frequency as well; a decrease of ejaculation frequency and of the Hit rate. The effects became stronger as REM sleep deprivation progressed. Rats deprived of REM sleep for 24 h were extremely debilitated after 12 days and some of them died, whereas the rats REM deprived for 16 h remained healthy during the 20 days. These data indicate that REM sleep deprivation interferes with the mechanisms that regulate male sexual behavior.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Purísima y Michoacan, México City, México.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velazquez-Moctezuma
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Retana-Marquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation; D004542:Ejaculation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012892:Sleep Deprivation; D012895:Sleep, REM