Sexual dysfunction, including disorders of sexual desire, arousal, orgasm and sexual pain, affects approximately 40% of American women, often with significant consequences on quality of life. Despite the prevalence, the causes of female sexual dysfunction remain poorly understood, and treatments are accordingly limited. Animal models of female sexual function have focused on the mechanics of sexual interaction, e.g., the lordosis reflex, limiting the generalizability of such findings for the understanding of sexual dysfunction in women. The goal of the proposed research is to take advantage of the tractability afforded by animal models, but to extend our analysis to include an integrated assessment of female sexual arousal and nociception;facets of sexual functioning that are applicable to women. Studies in Aim 1 will test the role of the medial preoptic area (mPOA) in sexual arousal in anesthetized female rats. In addition, the effects of inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) on female sexual functioning will be tested.
In Aim 2, the role of peripheral estrogen receptors in vaginal nociception will be tested. The results garnered from these studies will address gaps in knowledge of the physiology of female sexual function that may improve the ability to diagnose and to treat sexual dysfunction in women.
