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Pharmacological Studies on the Role of 5-HT1A Receptors in Male Sexual Behavior of Wildtype and Serotonin Transporter Knockout Rats

Diana C. Esquivel-Franco, Sietse F. de Boer, Marcel D. Waldinger, Berend Olivier, Berend Olivier

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2020

26 citations

Abstract

Brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission plays an important role in male sexual behavior and it is well established that activating 5-HT1AR in rats facilitates ejaculatory behavior. However, the relative contribution of 5-HT1A somatodendritic autoreceptors and heteroreceptors in this pro-sexual behavior is unclear. Moreover, it is unclear whether the contribution of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors and postsynaptic 5-HT1A heteroreceptors alter when extracellular 5-HT levels are chronically increased. Serotonin transporter knockout (SERT-/-) rats exhibit enhanced extracellular 5-HT levels and desensitized 5-HT1A receptors. These rats model neurochemical changes underlying chronic SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. We want to determine the role of presynaptic versus postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the pro-sexual effects of 5-HT1A receptor agonists in SERT+/+ and in SERT-/- rats. Therefore, acute effects of the biased 5-HT1A receptor agonists F-13714, a preferential 5-HT1A autoreceptor agonist, or F-15599, a preferential 5-HT1A heteroreceptor agonist, and S15535 a mixed 5-HT1A autoreceptor agonist/heteroreceptor antagonist, on male sexual behavior were assessed. A clear and stable genotype effect was found after training where SERT+/+ performed sexual behavior at a higher level than SERT-/- rats. Both F-15599 and F-13714 induced pro-sexual activity in SERT+/+ and SERT-/- animals. Compared to SERT+/+, the F13714- dose-response curve in SERT-/- rats was shifted to the right.…

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