The phytoestrogen ferutinin improves sexual behavior in ovariectomized rats.
The present study was designed to examine the effect of ferutinin chronic administration on sexual behavior of ovariectomized non-estrogen-primed rats. Starting from 3 weeks after ovariectomy, female rats were orally treated with ferutinin at the doses of 0.2 and 0.5 mg/kg, daily for 4 weeks. Ferutinin's effect was compared with that of estradiol benzoate, subcutaneously injected at the dose of 1.5 microg/rat twice a week. Animals were tested for sexual motivation, receptivity and proceptivity after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of treatment and for paced mating behavior after 4 weeks of treatment. Before each experimental test, they received progesterone injection (500 microg/rat). Both dosages of ferutinin significantly increased the receptive behavior in a time-dependent manner, as well as estradiol benzoate did. Also proceptive behaviors increased in ferutinin-treated animals in comparison with control ones. During the partner preference test ferutinin was able to induce a significant preference for a sexually active male over a sexually receptive female. Moreover, ferutinin restored a normal paced mating behavior, which had been suppressed by ovariectomy. These results show that ferutinin exerts an estrogenic activity in ovariectomized non-estrogen-primed female rats.
Zavatti
M
M
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology and National InterUniversity Consortium for the Study of Natural Active Principles (CINSPAN), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, I-41100 Modena, Italy.
Benelli
A
A
Montanari
C
C
Zanoli
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D003508:Cycloheptanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
D001565:Benzoates; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D003508:Cycloheptanes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C111068:4-oxy-6-(4-oxybezoyloxy)dauc-8,9-en