title: Electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area exerts opposite effects on male rat sexual behaviour expression depending on the stimulated sub region.
abstract: The effects of electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on male rat sexual behaviour were studied. Stimulation of dorsal VTA facilitated copulation of sexually experienced animals; while ventral VTA stimulation inhibited sexual behaviour. In sexually exhausted rats, stimulation at either region lacked of an effect. It is concluded that different loci within the VTA exert opposite influences on male sexual behaviour expression and that copulation to satiation modifies this VTA control.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, IPN-Sede Sur, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Col. Granjas Coapa, Delegación Tlalpan, México, D.F. C.P. 14330, Mexico. grodrigu@cinvestav.mx
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Manzo
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellicer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology*