Multiple ejaculations and chronic fluoxetine: effects on male rat copulatory behavior

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2000 Jun;66(2):337-42. doi: 10.1016/s0091-3057(00)00191-x.

Abstract

Male rats were treated with fluoxetine (FLX) or vehicle daily for 14 days and copulatory behavior tested on day 15. Rats were either mated to three ejaculations or to sexual exhaustion. Both standard measures and the mount bout analysis were used to evaluate the effects of the chronic FLX on male rat copulatory behavior. Only 56.25% of the animals treated with FLX achieved three ejaculations. FLX inhibited the consumatory aspect of male sexual behavior, especially the ability to achieve three ejaculations, but there was no effect on the propensity of the male to pursue the female. These differences were observed for the first three ejaculations. Analysis of the last three ejaculations in those animals that mated to exhaustion did not reveal an effect of FLX. The behavioral pattern of FLX-treated animals during the first three ejaculations resembled that observed during the last three ejaculatory series in the vehicle-treated animals that mated to exhaustion. The results are discussed in terms of the serotonergic effects on male rat sexual behavior.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Appetitive Behavior / drug effects
  • Appetitive Behavior / physiology
  • Consummatory Behavior / drug effects
  • Consummatory Behavior / physiology
  • Copulation / drug effects*
  • Copulation / physiology
  • Dopamine / physiology
  • Ejaculation / drug effects*
  • Ejaculation / physiology
  • Female
  • Fluoxetine / administration & dosage
  • Fluoxetine / toxicity*
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / toxicity*
  • Serotonin / physiology
  • Sexual Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology

Substances

  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
  • Fluoxetine
  • Serotonin
  • Dopamine