Basic information
Investigator: Dr. Jim Pfaus
Main recipient: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Research period: 1/2/2024 - 31/7/2025
Total budget: 490,000 CZK
Supported by: Other
Annotation
We have shown previously that clitoral stimulation (CLS) in rats, applied with a natural fiber paintbrush to the glans in a manner that mimics preferred stimulation by a male, results in an orgasm-like response that supports conditioned place and partner preferences and enhances reproductive success. We have also found recently that stimulation with a synthetic fiber paintbrush results in an aversive state that resembles clitorodynia. We seek to advance these findings in the first experiment by conducting a thorough set of behaviors and corresponding mapping of excitatory and inhibitory brain regions activated in response to either pleasurable or aversive CLS, and in response to a neutral odor associated with those states using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Fos protein as a marker of neuronal activation. The co-localization of Fos within dopamine, oxytocin, β-endorphin, and serotonin cell bodies will also be examined. In a second set of experiments, females will be given aversive CLS and then exposed to an extinction paradigm (5% lidocaine ointment on the clitoris in conjunction with natural soft fiber CLS) or a drug that is currently used to treat vulvodynia (amitriptyline, 10 mg/kg sc). These studies will provide the first animal model of expectancy-induced clitoral pleasure versus clitorodynia. Identifying the neural mechanisms through which pleasurable and aversive CLS induce specific behavioral reactions will give us the opportunity to examine how extinction treatments (e.g., experience with natural fiber CLS with topical lidocaine ointment)