scholarly journals No evidence for prolactin’s involvement in the post-ejaculatory refractory period

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Valente ◽  
Tiago Marques ◽  
Susana Q. Lima

AbstractIn many species, ejaculation is followed by a state of decreased sexual activity, the post-ejaculatory refractory period. Several lines of evidence have suggested prolactin, a pituitary hormone released around the time of ejaculation in humans and other animals, to be a decisive player in the establishment of the refractory period. However, data supporting this hypothesis is controversial. We took advantage of two different strains of house mouse, a wild derived and a classical laboratory strain that differ substantially in their sexual performance, to investigate prolactin’s involvement in sexual activity and the refractory period. First, we show that there is prolactin release during sexual behavior in male mice. Second, using a pharmacological approach, we show that acute manipulations of prolactin levels, either mimicking the natural release during sexual behavior or inhibiting its occurrence, do not affect sexual activity or shorten the refractory period, respectively. Therefore, we show compelling evidence refuting the idea that prolactin released during copulation is involved in the establishment of the refractory period, a long-standing hypothesis in the field of behavioral endocrinology.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Valente ◽  
Tiago Marques ◽  
Susana Q. Lima

AbstractIn many species, ejaculation is followed by a state of decreased sexual motivation, the post-ejaculatory refractory period. Several lines of evidence have suggested prolactin, a pituitary hormone released around the time of ejaculation in humans and other animals, to be a decisive player in the establishment of the refractory period. However, data supporting this hypothesis is controversial. We took advantage of two different strains of house mouse, a wild derived and a classical laboratory strain, that differ substantially in their sexual behavior, to investigate prolactin’s involvement in sexual motivation and the refractory period. First, we show that there is prolactin release during sexual behavior in male mice. Second, using a pharmacological approach, we show that acute manipulations of prolactin levels, either mimicking the natural release during sexual behavior or inhibiting its occurrence, do not affect sexual motivation or shorten the refractory period, respectively. Therefore, we show compelling evidence refuting the idea that prolactin released during copulation is involved in the establishment of the refractory period, a long-standing hypothesis in the field of behavioral endocrinology.


Author(s):  
M. Dolores Gil-Llario ◽  
Irene Díaz-Rodríguez ◽  
Vicente Morell-Mengual ◽  
Beatriz Gil-Juliá ◽  
Rafael Ballester-Arnal

Abstract Introduction The lockdown due to COVID-19 affected the sexual health of the people with intellectual disabilities by differentially modifying the frequency and characteristics of people’s sexual activity depending on whether or not they lived with a partner during this period. The aim of this study was to analyze the extent to which the sexual behavior of people with intellectual disabilities (with and without a partner) was affected during the lockdown. Methods The sample consisted of 73 people with intellectual disabilities between 21 and 63 years old (M = 39.63; SD = 10.11). The variables analyzed were the physical, social, and technological environment during the lockdown, sexual appetite, sexual behavior, online sexual activity, and sexual abuse. The data were collected between the months of May and June of 2020. Results The lockdown increased the sexual appetite of a third of the sample (38%), especially the youngest participants. Sexual activity focused on autoeroticism and online behavior, particularly sending nude images of oneself (88%) and viewing pornography (83.6%). Rates of sexual abuse during this period were relatively high (6.8%). Conclusions The sexual activity of people with ID was important during the lockdown, and they had to adapt to the circumstances of isolation in a similar way to the general population. Technological improvements in terms of devices and connection quality at home allowed their sexual behavior to be reoriented, opening the door to new risks for the sexual health of people with ID. Policy Implications Cybersex and the increase in sexual abuse due to confinement are aspects that should be included in programs to improve the sexual health of this group.


1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (2) ◽  
pp. R606-R613 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Van Furth ◽  
I. G. Wolterink-Donselaar ◽  
J. M. van Ree

The sexual activity of 40 male Wistar rats was tested weekly in a bilevel test chamber to evaluate the involvement of endogenous opioids in the appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior. It has been suggested that the increase of the anticipatory level-changing behavior over repeated testing, displayed before the introduction of a receptive female, is sexually motivated. Two doses of the opioid antagonist naloxone, 1 and 10 mg/kg, prevented the increase of the anticipatory level-changing over four repeated tests of sexually experienced rats without prior experience in the bilevel test chamber and decreased the number of level changes of rats displaying a high number of level changes. Analysis of the pattern of inhibition suggested that the lower dose of naloxone may reduce sexual reward and that, in addition, the higher dose may block the expression of motivation. In contrast, naloxone treatment facilitated the efficiency of the sexual performance, with less mounts and intromissions preceding ejaculation and a shorter ejaculation latency, implying an inhibitory role of endogenous opioids in the neural control of some aspects of sexual performance (e.g., ejaculatory threshold). These results suggest that endogenous opioids may increase sexual appetite and diminish sexual performance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 795-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Deng ◽  
Tatyana Bondarenko ◽  
Oleksandr Pakhomov

Transplantation of hormone-producing cells is an experimental endocrine dysfunction treatment. The present study investigated the effects of orchidectomy (OE) and transplantation of interstitial cell suspension (ICS) on rat sexual behavior. Adult experimental animals were divided into two populations. One of these populations had sexual experience before the experiment and the other did not. Each population was divided into three groups: control group and two orchidectomized groups. One of the orchidectomized groups was treated with ICS, and the other was treated with the vehicle. The changes in the sexual behavior were investigated on the following parameters: mount latency (ML), intromission latency (IL), ejaculation latency (EL), mount frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), copulatory efficacy (CE), and IF/EL ratio. The investigation of these changes lasted 4 weeks after ICS transplantation. The parameters of sexual behavior reflected a decrease in sexual function after OE at the beginning of the observation, especially for the animals that did not have a sexual experience. However, it was shown that sexual activity increased in the following 4 weeks. We have indicated that the loss of gonads attenuated the capacity to acquire sexual experience; nonetheless, it did not mean that the animals completely lost this capacity. Transplantation of ICS facilitated the maintenance of male sexual behavior after OE, fractionally enlarged the size of regressed seminal vesicles of the animals, and increased the free testosterone (T) level. These findings suggest the ICS can be considered as a temporal source of androgens, which can facilitate a restoration of sexual activity.


2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Raja ◽  
Antonella Azzoni

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate sexual behavior in a population of psychiatric patients affected by schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder by means of an ad hoc questionnaire designed to explore the three phases of the sexual response: desire (or interest), arousal, and performance. The study assessed patients’ attitude toward sexuality, several aspects of their sexual behavior, including patients’ awareness of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), contraceptive strategy preferred by patients, and sexual effects of psychotropic medication. Patients reported a high frequency of sexual dysfunction, in particular, hyposexuality. Schizophrenia diagnosis and female gender were associated with lower levels of sexual performance. The impact of psychotropic drugs on patients’ sexuality was significant, with both positive and negative effects. Although 65.8% of patients reported to be concerned about the risk of contracting infections during sexual intercourse, most of them engaged in sexual behavior at high risk for acquisition and transmission of STD. Patients’ compliance with contraceptive measures was poor.


Author(s):  
Yasemin Tasci ◽  
Berfu Demir ◽  
Muberra Kocak ◽  
Fedi Ercan ◽  
Burak Karadag ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the link between romantic relationship and/or sexual activity of adolescents, and family structure. Methods: Medical records of 1087 adolescent girls were evaluated for age, statute (student, working, out-of-school), incidence of romantic relationship and sexual activity, and family structures. Results: Teenager students had significantly less romantic relationships and experience of sexual intercourse than other groups. Parent-adolescent communication was negatively correlated with absence of romantic relationship and sexual intercourse. Conclusion: Adolescents who have left school and are working constitute a population having higher romantic relationships and sexual intercourse experiences compared with the student adolescents. Good relationships with parents were associated with less risky sexual behavior. Close relationships with school delay the onset of sexual activity.


1997 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. R5-R10 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Masumoto ◽  
Y Ikebuchi ◽  
T Matsuoka ◽  
K Tasaka ◽  
A Miyake ◽  
...  

Abstract The synaptic membrane protein synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP-25) has recently been implicated as one of the key proteins involved in exocytotic membrane fusion in neurons. However, the role of SNAP-25 in pituitary hormone release is not known. In this study, we determined that SNAP-25 is involved in regulated exocytosis in the clonal pituitary cell line GH4C1. SNAP-25 messenger RNA and protein were detected in GH4C1 cells by RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, respectively. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that SNAP-25 protein was localized in the plasma membrane. Next, to determine the function of SNAP-25 in GH4C1 cells, specific inhibitors of SNAP-25, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) /A or /E, and antisense SNAP-25 oligonucleotide were used. Neither BoNT/A nor BoNT/E affected thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-induced cytosolic Ca2+ increase, but both inhibited TRH-induced exocytosis. Moreover, they dose-dependently inhibited TRH-induced prolactin release. The introduction of antisense oligonucleotide into the cells also inhibited TRH-induced prolactin release. These results suggest that SNAP-25 is involved in regulated exocytosis in GH4C1 cells.


Behaviour ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 267-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynwood G. Clemens

AbstractEjaculation in the deermouse Peromyscus maniculatus gambeli was preceded by a sequence of brief penile penetrations (intromissions). In the sexually rested male the number of intromissions preceding the first ejaculation averaged 7 to 8. Each intromission was preceded by a short "bout" of running in which the male pursued the female. Following ejaculation the male failed to mount or investigate the female for the next 6 or 7 minutes. This "refractory period" was terminated when the male achieved another sequence of intromissions and ejaculated again. Males were considered sexually satiated after 30 minutes elapsed without any more ejaculations. Using this criterion it was found that from 3 to 6 ejaculations precede sexual satiation. The refractory periods became progressively longer following each successive ejaculation. If, following satiation, the female was removed and a different female was placed in the test area, all the males achieved additional intromissions and 8 out of 10 ejaculated. When the original mating partner was removed and then returned none of the males achieved ejaculation. This failure to achieve ejaculation with the original female was not due to changes in the condition of the female as a result of copulatory stimulation. Satiated males achieved additional ejaculations with females that had copulated with a different male just prior to the test just as frequently as they did with fresh females that had not copulated for 14 days. The condition of the female as affected by copulatory stimulation did influence other measures of the male's mating performance. These effects were seen most clearly in sexually rested males. The number of intromissions achieved prior to the first and the second ejaculation was greater with females that had received copulatory stimulation just prior to the test than it was with fresh females that had not copulated for 14 days. The time delay between intromissions was longer with fresh females. When males were allowed to achieve their first ejaculation with a fresh female and their second with the same female, there was no change in the number of intromissions from the first to the second ejaculation. This is in contrast to findings with the rat and hamster, in which species a decrease in intromission frequency occurs after the first ejaculation. The current study of the deermouse indicated that if the condition of the female was held constant by testing a male with a fresh female for the first ejaculation and another fresh female for the second ejaculation, a decrease in intromission frequency occurred. On the basis of these results it was concluded that: (i) sexual satiation in the male deermouse is, in part at least, specific to the particular female mating partner, and (2) changes in the condition of the female as a result of copulatory stimulation can have major effects on the "measure of male sexual performance".


1977 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 337-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Abramson ◽  
Patricia Michalak ◽  
Charlene Alling

The present study examined the relationship between perceptions of parental sex guilt and the sexual arousability and sexual activity of 63 single male and 89 single female undergraduates. The results indicate that the same sex parent is perceived as more influential in determining the sex guilt of the child whereas the perceived sex guilt of the mother may have more influence on the sexual arousability of the son and the sexual activity of the daughter.


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