Anabolic androgens restore mating after sexual satiety in male rats

Abstract

Androgen receptors and estrogen receptors importantly participate in the neuroendocrine control of masculine mating behavior. Sexual satiety is the long term inhibition of masculine mating behavior after repeated ejaculations and is associated to changes in both androgen receptor and estrogen receptor-α expression. Androgen receptor expression is up-regulated by systemic chronic administration of anabolic androgens, 5α-dihydrotestosterone or estradiol benzoate. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of these treatments on sexual satiety development and recovery; additionally flutamide or tamoxifen treatments – alone or together with anabolic androgens – were also included. Chronic 15-day treatment with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5 mg/kg) or tamoxifen (15 mg/kg) inhibited, whereas estradiol benzoate treatment (5 mg/kg) facilitated, mating behavior during sexual satiety development. The proportion of animals that ejaculated 48 h after sexual satiety was increased after 17-day treatment with a mixture of anabolic androgens containing 2 mg/kg testosterone propionate, 2 mg/kg nandrolone decanoate and 1 mg/kg boldenone undecylenate. This effect was only blocked by the combined administration of flutamide plus tamoxifen. The data suggest that anabolic androgens metabolites synergize to restore mating behavior after sexual satiety.