Association of paradoxical sleep deprivation and ecstasy (MDMA) enhances genital reflexes in male rats

• Published in: Behavioural brain research Vol. 170; no. 2; pp. 287 - 292
• Main Authors: Andersen, M.L., Perry, J.C., Battisti, M.C., Calzavara, M.B., Costa, J.L., Neto, O.N., Frussa-Filho, R., Tufik, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 30-06-2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors - pharmacology; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cocaine; Cocaine - pharmacology; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecstasy; Ejaculation; Ejaculation - drug effects; Erection; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Medical sciences; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine - pharmacology; Neuropharmacology; Penile Erection - drug effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Serotonin; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Deprivation - physiopathology; Sleep, REM; Sleep. Vigilance; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Ecstasy; Cocaine; Serotonin; Erection; Ejaculation; Sleep deprivation; Rat; Psychotropic; Male; Ester; Drug of abuse; Sleep wake cycle; Neurological disorder; Reflex; Nervous system diseases; CNS stimulant; Rodentia; Sleep disorder; Local anesthetic; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Sleep; Insomnia; Animal; Neurotransmitter
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.03.005

Ecstasy ((±)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a psychostimulant and a synthetic derivative of amphetamine that, according to its consumers, promotes the enhancement of sexual pleasure. This study sought to investigate the effects of ecstasy in the genital reflexes of paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD) male rats. Distinct groups of PSD rats were administered with saline or different doses of ecstasy. The incidence of genital reflexes was verified for 100
min. The four doses that were used induced genital reflexes in PSD animals and these significantly differed from their respective treated control groups. Under the influence of two intermediary doses (2.5 and 5
mg/kg), all animals displayed erection and ejaculation. The frequency of genital reflexes was also significantly greater than in relation to the PSD-saline group. The comparison between cocaine and ecstasy in PSD rats revealed that ecstasy induced more erections and ejaculations than cocaine. Thus, the present results showed a great enhancement of the genital reflexes of PSD rats that might have occurred due to serotoninergic alterations induced by this illicit substance when associated to sleep deprivation.