Sexual behavior enhances central dopamine transmission in the male rat
Abstract
Central dopamine transmission was examined in the nucleus accumbens and striatum of sexually experienced male rats during mating behaviour using in vivo brain microdialysis. Dopamine release increased significantly in the nucleus accumbens when males were placed in a novel mating chamber and when a receptive female was introduced behind a screen partitioning this chamber. Subsequently, during copulation dopamine transmission increased sharply, this being followed by a gradual decrease after the female was removed. In contrast, striatal dopamine transmission increased significantly only during copulation. These data provide a neurochemical basis for the well-known interactions between dopaminergic drugs and male sexual behaviour and demonstrate the feasibility of using brain microdialysis to elucidate the neurochemical correlates of motivated behaviour.
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Studies examining extracellular dopamine within the nucleus accumbens observe enhanced dopamine concentrations when shown a sexually receptive female behind a screen.
“Studies examining extracellular dopamine within the nucleus accumbens observe enhanced dopamine concentrations when shown a sexually receptive female behind a screen (Damsma et al., 1992, Pfaus et al., 1990).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Pfaus et al., 1990
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- Authors
- Pfaus, J. G., Damsma, G., Nomikos, G. G., Wenkstern, D. G., Blaha, C. D., Phillips, A. G., & Fibiger, H. C.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Fibiger, H.C.
- Venue
- Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1990-10
- Volume
- 530
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 345-348
- ISSN
- 0006-8993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2095849459
- Cited by
- 438
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 4.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- sexual behavior, dopamine release, nucleus accumbens, striatum, copulation, mating behavior, male rats, cerebral microdialysis, dopaminergic therapy, motivated behavior
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain Chemistry, Corpus Striatum, Dialysis, Dopamine, Female, Male, Motor Activity, Synaptic Transmission, Nucleus Accumbens, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Stereotaxic Techniques, Rats
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