Journal of Neuroscience 2014-04-23

Pain reduces sexual motivation in female but not male mice.

Melissa A Farmer, Alison Leja, Emily Foxen-Craft, Lindsey Chan, Leigh C MacIntyre, Tina Niaki, Mengsha Chen, Josiane C S Mapplebeck, Vanessa Tabry, Lucas Topham, Melissa Sukosd, Yitzchak M Binik, James G Pfaus, Jeffrey S Mogil

Index: J. Neurosci. 34(17) , 5747-53, (2014)

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Abstract

Chronic pain is often associated with sexual dysfunction, suggesting that pain can reduce libido. We find that inflammatory pain reduces sexual motivation, measured via mounting behavior and/or proximity in a paced mating paradigm, in female but not male laboratory mice. Pain was produced by injection of inflammogens zymosan A (0.5 mg/ml) or λ-carrageenan (2%) into genital or nongenital (hind paw, tail, cheek) regions. Sexual behavior was significantly reduced in female mice experiencing pain (in all combinations); male mice similarly treated displayed unimpeded sexual motivation. Pain-induced reductions in female sexual behavior were observed in the absence of sex differences in pain-related behavior, and could be rescued by the analgesic, pregabalin, and the libido-enhancing drugs, apomorphine and melanotan-II. These findings suggest that the well known context sensitivity of the human female libido can be explained by evolutionary rather than sociocultural factors, as female mice can be similarly affected.