Effects of monoamine oxidase inhibition on female sexual behavior, serotonin levels and type A and B monoamine oxidase activity.

Administration of various monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors to ovariectomized-adrenalectomized, estrogen and progesterone-treated female rats was utilized to study possible relationships between the lordosis response and levels of preoptic-hypothalamic MAO and serotonin (5HT). Depending on the drug and dose, behavioral changes ranged from no effect to complete abolition of the lordosis response. Surprisingly, only those treatments which substantially inhibited both the A and B forms of MAO affected lordosis. However, behavioral deficits were related to increases in 5HT levels in a graded manner. In fact, a sigmoid-shaped dose-response curve was generated by plotting either the lordosis quotient or quality score versus the percent increase in preoptic-hypothalamic 5HT. Proceptivity was reduced by some treatments but not abolished, suggesting that different neurotransmitters may mediate receptive and proceptive components of female sexual behavior. In general, these results support the hypothesis that 5HT may exert inhibitory control over hormone dependent female sexual behavior and suggest that previously reported changes in MAO activity and 5HT levels following gonadal steroid treatment could pay a role in hormonal facilitation of female sexual behavior.