Androgen-primed castrate males are sufficient for methamphetamine-facilitated increases in proceptive behavior in female rats.
Methamphetamine (MA) is a psychomotor stimulant associated with increases in sex drive in both men and women. Women, however, are far more likely to face social disadvantages as a consequence of MA use, and their increased sexual motivation poses additional health concerns such as unplanned pregnancies. To better understand the mechanisms underlying MA-facilitated sexual motivation in females, we previously established a rodent model where a "binge"-type administration paradigm of MA to sexually receptive female rats significantly increases proceptive behavior in the presence of a sexually active, gonadally-intact male. Our previous work with this model has led us to consider whether the increases in proceptive behavior are truly indicative of increased sexual motivation, or instead a consequence of heightened motor responsivity. Here, we test whether MA-induced increases in proceptive behaviors are specific to a sexually relevant stimulus. Females' sexual, social, exploratory behaviors, and interaction times were scored during the exposure to stimulus males, including castrates, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-treated castrates. MA-treated females demonstrated significant increases in proceptive behaviors toward DHT-treated castrate males but not toward castrate males. While the non-MA-treated females did display proceptive behavior, there was no significant difference between behaviors elicited by DHT-CX males compared to CX males. Our results support the hypothesis that MA facilitates proceptive behavior only in response to specific, androgen mediated sexually-relevant cues.
Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Sarah A
SA
Rudzinskas
Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Jessica A
JA
Mong
D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003463:Cues; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007989:Libido / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000728:Androgens; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D008694:Methamphetamine
Dihydrotestosterone; Methamphetamine; Proceptive behavior; Sexual motivation