This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Paredes, R. G. Articles by Ågmo, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Paredes, R. G. Articles by Ågmo, A. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB PICROTOXIN Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

GABAergic drugs and sexual behaviour in the rabbit: evidence for species-specific effects

Escuela de Psicologia, Universidad Anáhuac, México City, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Departamento de Biologia de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico

José Luis Contreras

Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Departamento de Biologia de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico

Anders Ågmo

Escuela de Psicologia, Universidad Anáhuac, México City, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Departamento de Biologia de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana- Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico, Laboratoire de Psychophysiologie, Université de Tours, Tours, France

The effects of -amino butyric acid (GABA)-ergic drugs on male rabbit sexual behaviour have been evaluated. The GABA_A agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroxixazolo-5,4c-pyridin-3-ol (THIP), the GABA_B agonist R-baclofen and the GABA antagonists picrotoxin and bicuculline were used. Injection of THIP, 20 mg/kg, s.c. produced a complete suppression of sexual behaviour and R-baclofen, 2.5 mg/kg, s.c. a significant inhibition. Intraperitoneal injections produced effects at higher doses than did s.c. injections. The inhibition produced by R-baclofen was associated with strong motor effects as shown by the water escape test. It is probable, therefore, that the reduced sexual behaviour observed after treatment with this drug is a consequence of sedative or muscle relaxant effects. By contrast, the dose of THIP that inhibited sexual behaviour had no effect on the water escape test. These results show that the GABA _A agonist inhibits sexual behaviour in the male rabbit independent of effects on the motor system. The GABA antagonists had marginal or no effects on sexual behaviour. When these data are compared to previous results in the rat, substantial differences are seen. As there are differences between the effects on rat and rabbit sexual behaviour by other types of drugs, it appears that drug action on sexual behaviour cannot be generalized from one species to another.

Key Words: GABA • motor performance • rabbit • sexual behaviour

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 12, No. 2, 186-191 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/026988119801200211


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. McGehee, J. E. Hornyak, C. Lin, and B. M. Kelly Baclofen-induced sexual dysfunction. Neurology, September 26, 2006; 67(6): 1097 - 1098. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. S. Bisenius, D.N. R. Veeramachaneni, G. E. Sammonds, and S. Tobet Sex Differences and the Development of the Rabbit Brain: Effects of Vinclozolin Biol Reprod, September 1, 2006; 75(3): 469 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]