Abstract
Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual dysfunction worldwide, and animal models are used to characterize it. We developed a paradigm called the multiple partner choice arena (MPCA), consisting of 4 acrylic cylinders placed crosswise. Each cylinder contains a sexually experienced male rat, and a receptive female rat resides in the central space, able to choose any cylinder for copulation. We have suggested the MPCA as an animal model for assessing PE be-cause male rats in this paradigm display behavior similar to PE in men, achieving ejaculation in less time. This study aims to demonstrate whether the MPCA satisfies the predictive validity criterion, in which the effects of drugs in the animal model should closely resemble those observed in human medical disorders, such as PE. We investigated the effect of 2 SSRIs (SSRI), sertraline and fluoxetine, on male rats' rapid ejaculation in the MPCA. Two groups of male rats (n=8) were tested: saline, sertraline, and fluoxetine. Weekly doses of 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg/day for sertraline and fluoxetine were administered, while the saline group received only the vehicle. Each test involved four males from the same group, treated with identical drug doses, until achieving the first ejaculation in the MPCA. Fluoxetine and sertraline, at the 10 mg/kg dose, significantly prolonged the ejaculation latency. For this reason, the MPCA satisfies the predictive validity criterion as an animal model of PE.