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. 2023 May 31;17:1198077. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1198077

TABLE 3.

Studies investigating the effects of repeated administration of cannabinoid receptor agonists on male sexual behavior of sexually active rodents.

Species Drug Doses, route of administration and treatment schedule Effects on MSB References
Sub-chronic treatment with CBR agonists
Mouse Hashish extract 20 mg/kg THC, p.o. sub-chronic (3 days, 1X/d)
tested daily
1st day: sedation no sexual activity
2nd day: tolerance to the sedative effects. ↓%AM, %M, and %I but not ≠ from control
3rd day: ↑%AM, %M, and %I
Sieber et al., 1981
Rat HU-210 0.025−0.1 mg/kg, i.p.
sub-chronic (14 days, 1X/d)
tests: 7th day and 14th day
0.025 mg/kg: ↑ trend in ML, IL, and EL; ↓% CS (7th day > 14th day)
0.05 mg/kg: ↑ ML, IL, EL, and PEI and ↓ #M, #I; ↓% CS (7th day > 14th day)
0.1 mg/kg: ↓%CS (7th day > 14th day)
Ferrari et al., 2000
Rat HU-210 0.1 mg/kg, i.p.
sub-chronic (10 days, 1X/d)
test: day 11
Trend toward ↑ in all temporal parameters.
↓ I and E frequency; test was run after the last administration (−30 min)
Riebe et al., 2010
Chronic administration of CBR agonists
Rat Δ9-THC Synthetic CME (16% Δ9-THC) 0.5, 1.5, and 5 mg/kg, p.o.
chronic (60 days, 1X/d)
test: day 61
No differences in mating with any dose or compound evaluated by fertility indices (no specific parameters were evaluated).
Administration from PND 40 onward
Wright et al., 1976
Mouse Hashish extract (“idem”) 20 mg/kg, p.o. chronic [3X/week for 12 weeks (36 doses)]
tests: 26th or 27th day of treatment
Decrease in social investigation, specially sexually motivated behavior, whereas non-social activities were significantly increased. The next morning all drug-treated females had vaginal plugs (evidencing sexual interaction)
Treatment from weaning onward. (♀ and ♂ treated)
Frischknecht et al., 1982
Mouse 50 mg/kg, p.o. chronic [3X/week for 7 weeks (21 doses)]
tests: 3rd and 7th week of treatment
3rd week: ↑ ML and IL
7th week: ↑ ML
Dalterio, 1980
Rat 10 mg/kg, p.o. chronic (30 days, 1X/d)
test: day 30th
Loss of libido (failure to show mounting behavior with a non-receptive female in a 15 min session) Dhawan and Sharma, 2003

CBR, cannabinoid receptor; CME, crude marijuana extract; PND, postnatal day; i.p., intraperitoneal; p.o., oral. Percentage of animals showing attempted mounts: %AM; mounts: %M; intromissions: %I. Sexual parameters: ML, mount latency; IL, intromission latency; EL, ejaculation latency; PEI, post-ejaculatory interval; CS, copulatory series (i.e., the males resumed copulation after ejaculation).