REVERSAL OF SEXUAL EXHAUSTION BY SEROTONERGIC AND NORADRENERGIC AGENTS

The possible participation of the serotonergic and the noradrenergic s ystems in the control of the inhibitory state present during sexual sa tiation was studied from a pharmacological perspective. It was found t hat the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT and the alpha(2) adrenoceptor antagon ist, yohimbine were effective in reversing the sexual inhibition resul ting from sexual exhaustion. These findings show that the inhibition p resent during satiation is reversible and suggest that central mechani sms underlie it. The serotonergic as well as the noradrenergic systems , probably through their 5-HT1A and alpha(2) receptors, respectively, play a role in the establishment of this phenomenon. Additionally, the main features of the development of sexual exhaustion were reviewed. It was found that sexual exhaustion has two different expressions: a m ajor proportion of the exhausted rats does not copulate and a third pa rt of this population is able to execute one ejaculatory series from w hich they do not recover. The data are discussed in terms of the motiv ational and consummatory components of male sexual behaviour.