Effects of prenatal diphenhydramine administration on sexual behavior in rats

ABSTRACT

In order to study the involvement of the brain histamine system on the sexual vehavior of rats prenatally exposed to the histamine H1 receptor blockader, diphenhydramine (DPD), the famale lordotic response and male sexual behavior were aalyzed. The results show that the lorditic response in the prenatal DPD-treated rats was increased in relation to control animals. Impairment of male sexual behavior was indicated by an invrease in ejaculation latency, in the number of mounts and a decrease in the number of ejaculations up to 30 min after the first intromission. Prenatal expossure to DPD thus appears to alter female and male sexual behavior on reaching adulthood