Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 500, Issues 1–2, 23 October 1989, Pages 325-332
Brain Research

The effects of intracranial administration of the dopamine agonist apomorphine on penile reflexes and seminal emission in the rat

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(89)90328-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Previous studies employing systemic administration of the dopamine agonist apomorphine have shown that the dose response curves for apomorphine's effects on penile reflexes and seminal emission differ, suggesting that experimentally separable populations of dopamine receptors regulate these two responses. The present experiments examined the locations of central nervous system DA receptors mediating genital responses in the restrained, supine rat by injecing apomorphine into the medial preoptic area and the paraventricular nucleus through chronic, indwelling cannulae. Medial preoptic area injections facilitated penile reflexes, but not seminal emission, while paraventricular injections facilitated seminal emission. These results suggest that systemically administered apomorphine may facilitate penile reflexes by acting on the medial preoptic area and may enhance seminal emission by acting on the paraventricular nucleus.

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