Naloxone blocks the deterioration of male sexual behavior induced by alarm pheromone in rats.
Previously, we have demonstrated that the alarm pheromone deteriorates sexual behavior in male rats, which was blocked by pretreatment with a corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) antagonist. Studies have shown that an opioid antagonist blocked the deterioration of male sexual behavior following intracerebroventricular administration of CRH. Therefore, possibly, the pheromone effects could also be mediated by the opioid system. In this study, we pretreated rats with naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, and examined the following sexual behavior modulations in male rats that were exposed to the alarm pheromone. Naloxone blocked the deterioration of sexual behavior in a dose-dependent manner. On the basis of these data and the results of the previous study, we conclude that the alarm pheromone activates the CRH system, which then activates the opioid system, to deteriorate male sexual behavior.
Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Tatsuya
T
Kobayashi
Yasushi
Y
Kiyokawa
Sayaka
S
Arata
Yukari
Y
Takeuchi
Yuji
Y
Mori
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D010675:Pheromones; D009270:Naloxone