title: Association of paradoxical sleep deprivation and ecstasy (MDMA) enhances genital reflexes in male rats.
abstract: Ecstasy ((+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a psychostimulant and a synthetic derivative of amphetamine that, according to its consumers, promotes the enhancement of sexual pleasure. This study sought to investigate the effects of ecstasy in the genital reflexes of paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD) male rats. Distinct groups of PSD rats were administered with saline or different doses of ecstasy. The incidence of genital reflexes was verified for 100 min. The four doses that were used induced genital reflexes in PSD animals and these significantly differed from their respective treated control groups. Under the influence of two intermediary doses (2.5 and 5mg/kg), all animals displayed erection and ejaculation. The frequency of genital reflexes was also significantly greater than in relation to the PSD-saline group. The comparison between cocaine and ecstasy in PSD rats revealed that ecstasy induced more erections and ejaculations than cocaine. Thus, the present results showed a great enhancement of the genital reflexes of PSD rats that might have occurred due to serotoninergic alterations induced by this illicit substance when associated to sleep deprivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Napoleão de Barros, 925, Vila Clementino - SP - 04024-002, São Paulo, Brazil. mandersen@psicobio.epm.br
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Calzavara
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: O N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frussa-Filho
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012895:Sleep, REM
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D003042:Cocaine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine