Vitamin D3 supplementation improve sexual behaviors of male wistar rats treated with flunitrazepam

Abstract

Sexual function, a major component of male health and lifestyle, has been reported to be impaired by flunitrazepam abuse due to its central tranquilizing actions. Therefore, this study examined the role of vitamin D3 (Vit.D3) supplementation on the sexual behavior of flunitrazepam (Flu)-treated male rats. Thirty male Wistar rats, weighing 180–200 g, were allowed access to receptive female rats on three different occasions and screened for sexual proficiency; twenty male rats were selected and randomly allocated into four groups: Vehicle: receiving 0.5 ml of distilled water with 0.5 ml of olive oil;. Flu: receiving 0.35 mg/kg body weight (BW) of flunitrazepam in 0.5 ml of distilled water with 0.5 ml of olive oil; Vit. D3: receiving 0.1 μg/kg/day of vitamin D3 in 0.5 ml of olive oil with 0.5 ml distilled water; Flu + Vit. D3: receiving 0.35 mg/kg of flunitrazepam in 0.5 ml of distilled water with 0.1 μg/kg/day of Vitamin.D3 in 0.5 ml of olive oil. Treatments were administered orally for 56 days. Vitamin D3 supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) reduced mount and intromission latencies, mount frequency and post-ejaculatory interval while increasing intromission frequencies, copulatory and inter-copulatory efficiencies with extended ejaculation latency in flunitrazepam-treated rats. Additionally, Vit.D3 supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) increased serum concentrations of gonadotropin hormones, testosterone, and estradiol, while reducing prolactin concentration. Vitamin D3 supplementation optimized sexual performance and motivation by reducing mount and intromission latencies, improving sexual performance, and preventing premature ejaculation, thereby enhancing copulatory and inter-copulatory efficiencies. Vitamin D3 possibly optimized sexual performance by inhibiting prolactin sretion, which upregulates circulatory pituitary steroids and testicular androgens.