Influence of cyproheptadine on clomipramine induced sexual dysfunction in male rats

Abstract

Background: In our earlier studies we have reported that clomipramine (clmp) has the ability to suppress male rat sexual behaviour. It was also reported that clomipramine produced dose dependent and time dependent decrease in the testosterone levels and also damage to the testes. Methods: In the present investigation we have challenged the male rats which were under treatment with clomipramine with cyproheptadine a serotonin antagonist. The treatment was continued for 60 days. At the end of 30 days half of the animals in each group were sacrificed blood was collected through cardiac puncture, serum was separated subjected for the estimation of serum testosterone and prolactin. At regular intervals all the male rats under treatment were challenged with female rats which are in oestrous stage and various sexual behaviour parameters were studied for 30 minutes under dim red light. Results: The result reveals that prior treatment with cyproheptadine prevented the decline in testosterone levels induced by clmp, testicular damage was also prevented successfully with cyproheptadine at ½ TD and TD doses of clmp, but failed to maintain at higher doses. The sexual competence of male rats like mount latency, intromission latency, ejaculation latency and other sexual behaviour parameters also restored to normal in the ½ TD clmp treated group. In the rats treated with TD and 2TD clmp only partial improvement was observed. Conclusions: The cyproheptadine a drug used as appetizer has the ability to elevate testosterone levels; it has also protected the testis from clomipramine induced damage. The sexual behaviour of the rats which were under treatment with clomipramine was also restored partially in TD and 2TD whereas the rats which were under ½ TD clmp treatment were restored to normal.