Differences in the Spinal Command of Ejaculation in Rapid Ejaculating Rats

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that lifelong premature ejaculation is part of a biological variation in the intravaginal ejaculation latency, but what causes this variation remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to elucidate whether variations in ejaculation latencies in an experimental rat model for premature ejaculation are linked to differences in the spinal command of ejaculation. Electrical microstimulation of the spinal generator for ejaculation revealed an accelerated expulsion phase in rapid ejaculating rats. Adult male Wistar rats were categorized as "sluggish,""normal," or "rapid" ejaculators on the basis of their ejaculation frequency in sexual mating tests. One to three weeks after selection, males were urethane anesthetized and electrically microstimulated in the spinal generator for ejaculation, evoking ejaculation. Bulbospongiosus muscle electromyographic and intraluminal vas deferens pressure were measured simultaneously, representing, respectively, the expulsion and emission phase in ejaculation. Electrical microstimulation of the spinal generator for ejaculation evoked ejaculation in "sluggish" (N = 9), "normal" (N = 13), and "rapid" (N = 11) ejaculating rats. Vas deferens contraction (emission phase) was evoked at different stimulation strengths, but response properties were not statistically different between "sluggish,""normal," and "rapid" ejaculator rats. Bulbospongiosus muscle contractions (expulsion phase) following microstimulation was significantly accelerated in "rapid" rats as compared with "sluggish" and "normal" rats. The total duration of bulbospongiosus muscle contractions remained unchanged between the three ejaculator groups. Our results provide the first scientific evidence supporting a neurophysiological difference between "rapid,""normal," and "sluggish" ejaculators, expressed as an accelerated expulsion phase in "rapid" ejaculator rats. This bridges the gap between a sexual behavior trait and the spinal command of ejaculation.