Drug Boosts Sexual Desire in Female Rats

Treatment with PT-141, a synthetic version of a brain hormone called MSH, boosts sexual appetite in female rats, new research indicates. This is the first time that a drug has been shown to increase desire in female rats without affecting other aspects of sex.

Treatment with PT-141, a synthetic version of a brain hormone called MSH, boosts sexual appetite in female rats, new research indicates. This is the first time that a drug has been shown to increase desire in female rats without affecting other aspects of sex.Given that no drugs are currently approved for treating low sex drive in women, the current findings could have important implications, lead author Dr. James G. Pfaus, from Concordia University in Montreal, and colleagues note. Previous reports have shown that treatment with MSH can induce sexually receptive positions in female rats. Recently, PT-141 was shown to promote erections in men, according to the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the current study, treatment of female rats with PT-141 seemed to increase sexual desire without causing the animals to assume a sexually receptive position. Moreover, the drug seemed to be free of major side effects. To the extent that sexual desire in rats resembles that seen in women, the findings suggest that PT-141 may be a useful treatment for low sex drive, the authors conclude. (SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Reuters Health News: July 2004.)