Methamphetamine enhances paced mating behaviors and neuroplasticity in the medial amygdala of female rats.
Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychomotor stimulant strongly associated with increases in sexual drive and behavior in women and men. Even though men and women are equally as likely to be addicted to or use METH, studies of sexual behavior often focus on male users. The paucity in studies examining the effect of METH in women is of great concern, when one considers the high correlation with sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies. In fact, why METH so profoundly increases sexual drive is unknown. We have demonstrated that repeated exposure to METH enhances both receptivity and proceptivity in hormonally primed female rats. The current study examined whether a repeated exposure to METH enhanced female-initiated sexual behaviors in hormonally primed rats. In a paced mating paradigm, METH treatment significantly decreased the female's return latency following a mount (57%) and an ejaculation (44%), and the likelihood to leave the male following an intromission (37%) compared to controls. The METH-induced changes in paced mating behavior were accompanied by a 60% increase in spinophilin levels in the medial amygdala following hormonal priming and METH treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that METH increases female sexual motivation and behavior in the rat potentially via changes in the neural substrate that require repeated exposure to the drug.
Holder
Mary K
MK
Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. mhold001@umaryland.edu
Mong
Jessica A
JA
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D000099273:Neurabins
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000099273:Neurabins
Public Health Rep. 2006 Mar-Apr;121(2):127-32
16528944
Biochimie. 2006 Sep;88(9):1099-113
16737766
Behav Brain Res. 1999 Nov 1;105(1):129-50
10553696
Neuron. 2008 May 22;58(4):584-98
18498739
J Neurosci. 2009 Oct 21;29(42):13274-82
19846715
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010 Feb;35(2):197-208
19589643
Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2008 Nov;1(3):292-6
19630727
Dev Neurobiol. 2007 Feb 15;67(3):304-15
17443789
Neuropharmacology. 2004;47 Suppl 1:33-46
15464124
Women Health. 2004;40(3):35-50
15829444
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2004 Mar;77(3):431-45
15006453
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Aug 1;97(16):9287-92
10922077
J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2009 Nov;116(11):1417-25
19730783
Jpn J Physiol. 2005 Dec;55(6):345-53
16409669
Eur J Neurosci. 2007 Feb;25(3):847-53
17328779
J Comp Neurol. 1981 Mar 20;197(1):81-98
6164702
Neurosci Lett. 2007 Sep 7;424(2):116-21
17714871
J Neuroendocrinol. 2005 Apr;17(4):255-61
15842237
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999 Jun 29;877:439-44
10415663
Horm Behav. 1978 Dec;11(3):414-8
572810
Behav Brain Res. 1990 Dec 21;41(3):239-49
2288675
Horm Behav. 2008 Nov;54(5):662-8
18687334
Brain Res. 2008 Nov 13;1240:73-81
18809393
J Subst Abuse Treat. 2002 Mar;22(2):103-8
11932136
Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2004 Jul;10(5):287-92
15196507
Horm Behav. 2005 Dec;48(5):512-21
16126205
J Comp Neurol. 1973 Sep 15;151(2):121-58
4744471
Annu Rev Sex Res. 2003;14:1-63
15287157
Addict Behav. 2004 Jun;29(4):807-10
15135564
Horm Behav. 1989 Dec;23(4):473-502
2691387
Horm Behav. 2010 Jun;58(1):138-48
20025882
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2009;35(3):161-77
19462300
J Neuroendocrinol. 2006 Sep;18(9):692-702
16879168
Endocrinology. 2010 Mar;151(3):1153-60
20097718
Behav Neurosci. 2009 Apr;123(2):369-81
19331460
Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Apr;27(7):1780-92
18371078
Behav Brain Res. 1999 Nov 1;105(1):117-27
10553695
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2006 Aug;9(4):407-15
16146580
J Comp Neurol. 1990 Apr 1;294(1):76-95
2324335
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Sep 2;94(18):9956-61
9275233