In men chronic heavy drinking interferes with reproductive hormones which are responsible for sexual maturation, sperm development and fertility. Alcohol is directly toxic to the testes; causing reduced testosterone levels.The present study was designed with an aim to elucidate the effect of oxidative stress on plasma testosterone level and hypothalamic pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis function in ...

Disorders of sexual desire affect an estimated 30% of women in North America and Europe, with etiologies based on interpersonal, personal, and physiological factors. There are currently no pharmacological agents approved for use in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. This is due, in part, to a focus on the effects of experimental drugs on reflexive components of sexual behavior, such as...

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between sexual function and depression in sexually active, mid-aged women while controlling for sociodemographical and clinical factors. METHODS Data were analyzed from 335 healthy, sexually active, Peruvian women (40-59 years) who simultaneously filled out the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), the Beck Depression Inv...

Endocrine systems play critical roles in facilitating sexual behavior in seasonally breeding vertebrates. Much of the research exploring this topic has focused on the endocrine correlates of signaling behavior in males and sexual proceptivity in females. What is less understood is how hormones promote the expression of the often complex and highly selective set of stimulus-response behaviors th...

OBJECTIVES To analyze the sexuality of Italian menopausal women. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. POPULATION Menopausal women consecutively observed during the study period in menopause clinics. METHODS Women were interviewed about their current and premenopausal sexual activity: sexual intercourse frequency and self-rated sexual desire, capacity for orgasm and sexual satisfaction were recor...

The male reproductive system consists of the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, and the testes. Alcohol can interfere with the function of each of these components, thereby causing impotence, infertility, and reduced male secondary sexual characteristics. In the testes, alcohol can adversely affect the Leydig cells, which produce and secrete the hormone testosterone. Studies found that...

Epidemiological studies document that males are more prone than females to develop severe sepsis and this is confirmed by Sakr and colleagues in the previous issue of Critical Care. However, the impact of gender on prognosis of severe sepsis is a matter of debate. Sakr and colleagues report a higher mortality in septic females than in males. This puzzling result might be explained by confoundin...

Galanin-like peptide (GALP) is expressed in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and is regulated by leptin and insulin. Centrally administered GALP stimulates gonadotropin secretion and sexual behavior in the rat. Type 1 diabetes is associated with reduced expression of GALP, as well as an overall decline in reproductive function. We postulated that tonic activity of GALP in the brain is required ...

Reproductive behavior in male rodents is made up of anticipatory and consummatory elements which are regulated in the brain by sensory systems, reward circuits and hormone signaling. Gonadal steroids play a key role in the regulation of male sexual behavior via steroid receptors in the hypothalamus and preoptic area. Typical patterns of male reproductive behavior have been characterized, howeve...