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In Experimental Dilated Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure and Survival Are Adversely Affected by a Lack of Sexual Interactions
- Source :
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 21, Iss 5450, p 5450 (2020), International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Volume 21, Issue 15
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Nearly one in three people in the U.S. will develop heart failure (HF), characterized by fluid retention (edema) in the lungs and elsewhere. This leads to difficult breathing, deterioration of physical capacity, restriction of normal activities and death. There is little data about the safety and effects of sexual interactions in patients with HF. We tested whether a lack of sexual interactions affected pathophysiological outcomes in a pre-clinical mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy that recapitulates the progressive stages of human HF. Male mice were randomly given access to, or deprived from, sexual interactions with female mice, which were confirmed by videography and generation of offspring. Cohousing with access to sexual interactions markedly prolonged survival, while cohousing without access to sexual activity did not. Sexual interactions improved systolic function, reduced HF-associated edema, altered transcription of heart contractile protein genes and decreased plasma testosterone levels. To determine whether testosterone levels contributed to survival, testosterone levels were experimentally reduced. Reduction of testosterone levels significantly prolonged survival. Taken together, in mice with dilated cardiomyopathy, sexual activity altered cardiac contractile gene transcription, improved systolic function, reduced edema and prolonged survival which may be in part due to lower testosterone levels.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Male
Survival
Pleural effusion
Male mice
heart failure
030204 cardiovascular system & hematology
lcsh:Chemistry
Mice
0302 clinical medicine
pleural effusion
contractile function
Edema
lcsh:QH301-705.5
Spectroscopy
Coitus
Dilated cardiomyopathy
General Medicine
Pathophysiology
Computer Science Applications
Female
medicine.symptom
lifespan
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated
medicine.medical_specialty
Offspring
Sexual Behavior
Catalysis
Article
Inorganic Chemistry
03 medical and health sciences
Internal medicine
medicine
Animals
Humans
In patient
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Molecular Biology
business.industry
Organic Chemistry
medicine.disease
Myocardial Contraction
dilated cardiomyopathy
Disease Models, Animal
030104 developmental biology
Endocrinology
lcsh:Biology (General)
lcsh:QD1-999
Heart failure
testosterone
business
edema
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 16616596 and 14220067
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 5450
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....b9573f711d58ca97a5231c581ffbc9f6