Does Chronic Hyperglycemia Affect Female Rat Sexual Behavior? Differences in Paced and Non-Paced Mating

Abstract

Introduction Diabetes mellitus has been associated with sexual dysfunction; however, in women this relationship is controversial. A study using a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) failed to find a reduced receptivity in the non-paced mating (NPM), but the appetitive aspects of female sexual behavior have not been evaluated, for example, in the paced mating (PM) paradigm. Aim To evaluate all components of female sexual behavior (in NPM and PM) in a model of DM2 using ovariectomized (OVX) (treated with steroids) or intact female rats (non-OVX) in natural proestrus. Methods Neonatal females (3–4 days) were administered streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or citrate buffer. At week 8, a glucose tolerance test was performed. At week 10, half of the females were OVX, and in the other half (non-OVX) the estrous cycle was monitored. At the twelfth week, the sexual behavior tests were conducted; OVX females were treated with estradiol benzoate (10 μg, −24 hours) and progesterone (3 mg, −4 hours), whereas the non-OVX were evaluated on vaginal proestrus. Main Outcome Measures We registered in NPM and PM receptivity (lordosis quotient and intensity), as well as the number of proceptive and aggressive behaviors. Additionally, in PM we calculated the percentage of exits and the return latencies after receiving stimulation and the time the female remained in the male's compartment. Results The STZ-treated females presented glucose intolerance and were hyperglycemic. Neonatal STZ treatment provoked changes in the females' sexual behavior depending on the paradigm and the hormonal condition. In the NPM, STZ-OVX females had decreased lordosis quotient and intensity and increased aggression, whereas, in the STZ-non-OVX females, there was a decrease in proceptivity; such changes were not observed in PM. Regardless of whether the STZ-treated females were OVX, they failed to perform the pacing behavior. Clinical Implication These data support the idea that chronic mild hyperglycemia, like that observed in DM2 (which represents 90% of the clinical cases), provokes marginal changes in most aspects of female sexual behavior. Strengths & Limitations The main strength of this work is the evaluation of consummatory and motivational aspects of female sexual behavior in a model of DM2. The main limitation is the duration of the experimental design that does not resemble the course of the disease in humans. No histologic or biochemical analyses were performed. Conclusion These results suggest that chronic hyperglycemia produces decreases in sexual behavior.

Being friendly: paced mating for the study of physiological, behavioral, and neuroplastic changes induced by sexual behavior in females

“…A study evaluated sexual behavior in rats using both STZ models under PM and NP conditions. The results showed a reduction of LQ in females with severe hyperglycemia tested in NP conditions, whereas, in the mild hyperglycemia group, there were no changes in the LQ or LI in NP and PM groups ( Hernandez-Munive et al, 2019 ). However, pacing behavior was disrupted in the PM group since females did not exit the male compartment after receiving a mating stimulus.…”

Established a comprehensive mice model of persistent genital arousal disorder and investigated the mechanism of VEGF-ERK signal pathing in vaginal microvascular injury

“…In this part of the experiment, we refer to the method of Snoeren E and Hernández-Munive A. 22,23 . The process of sexual behavioral analysis can be stated with two conditions to made mice sexually aroused: One with intraperitoneal hormone therapy (24 hours before the test, 3 mg per mouse of estradiol benzoate subcutaneously; followed by progesterone, 1 mg per mouse subcutaneously, 4 hours before the test), and second with nerve stimulation.…”