Methamphetamine-enhanced female sexual motivation is dependent on dopamine and progesterone signaling in the medial amygdala.

ABSTRACT: Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychomotor stimulant strongly associated with increases in sexual drive and impulsive sexual behaviors that often lead to unsafe sexual practices. In women METH users, such practices have been associated with increases in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite this significant heath concern, the neural mechanisms underlying this drug-sex association are not known. We previously established a rodent model of METH-facilitated female sexual behavior in which estradiol and progesterone interact with METH to increase motivational components of female behavior and neuronal activation in the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) (Holder et al., 2010; Holder and Mong, 2010). The current study more directly examines the mechanisms underlying the

SUBMITTER: Holder MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4291296 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature