Posted on 02/12/2003 11:48:19 AM PST by MadIvan
Viagra doesn't work for most women |
A new approach might be on the verge of producing an effective sex drug for women.
Unlike Viagra, the male impotency pill which acts on the sexual organs, the drug given to women in this study acts on the brain.
Tests carried out by Ian Russell, a specialist nurse at Dumfries and Galloway NHS Trust, have produced promising results.
His work is featured in the BBC Two Science programme Horizon.
Ten women suffering from reduced sexual desire were treated with a drug called apomorphine.
Apomorphine is active in the brain where it mimics the effect of one of the brain's main chemical messengers, dopamine.
Lack of desire
Problems with desire are the most common complaint reported by women who seek help for sexual problems.
Ian Russell is excited by the results |
"The results were astonishing" Russell told Horizon.
Ever since its launch in 1998, scientists have been investigating whether Viagra could work for women too.
Viagra was the first oral treatment for male erection problems and has been used by more than 20 million men worldwide.
Enzyme reaction
Viagra works by blocking the action of a key enzyme in the pelvis.
This increases the blood-flow to the penis following sexual stimulation and it is this extra blood-flow that makes patients with erectile dysfunction more likely to achieve and maintain an erection.
However, clinical trial results have revealed that apart from small subgroups of women, like those with very specific problems associated with vaginal blood-flow, Viagra will probably do nothing for the majority of women with sexual problems.
The reason seems to be that, despite the physical similarities between male and female genitalia, there are crucial differences in our sexuality.
In men, blood-flow to the penis is at the heart of the sexual response.
However, research has shown that for women, vaginal blood-flow can have little to do with feeling aroused.
Experiments in Amsterdam by Clinical Psychologist Ellen Laan have shown that blood flow to the vagina increased while women watched pornographic material, despite the fact that many didn't report feeling 'turned on'.
It seems that in women feelings of arousal and desire are much more to do with the response of the brain than that of the sexual organs - and this could explain why drugs that act on the brain may provide an effective treatment for female sexual problems, such as loss of desire.
Sex on the Brain
Despite the encouraging initial results from Scotland, scientists remain cautious about Ian Russell's findings.
"We will have to wait until we have controlled, double blind studies before we know" said Professor Julia Heimen, clinical psychologist at the University of Washington.
Russell agrees and has begun a much larger clinical trial to investigate. This should be completed next year.
Regards, Ivan
Again, unfortunate phrasing. ;)
Regards, Ivan
Heimen?
Hymen? ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chocolate and the Nervous SystemAdam Drewnowski at the University of Michigan researched whether chocolate triggers the production of opioids. Opioids are chemicals, such as those found in opium, that produce a feeling of well-being (euphoria). Drewnowski found that eating chocolate causes the brain to produce natural opiates, which dulI pain and increase a feeling of well-being. If the receptors in the brain that signal the presence of opioids were blocked, chocolate bingeing decreased. It was not shown, however, if this was caused by the high fat or sugar content of chocolate candy.
Researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, Emmanuelle diTomaso (she's now at Harvard University) and Daniele Piomelli (he's now at the University of California, Irvine) looked into the chemical components of chocolate. They found three substances in chocolate that "could act as cannabinoid mimics either directly (by activating cannabinoid receptors) or indirectly (by increasing anandamide levels)." What do all these big words mean? A little background information may help make this more understandable.
A receptor is a structure on the surface of a cell that interacts with certain chemicals. Receptors have different shapes, and thus interact with specific molecules. diTomaso describes this interaction like this: "the active compound will lock itself to the protein and that triggers a reaction inside the cell." Cannabinoids are substances that act like cannabis, also known as marijuana. The active chemical in marijuana is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and there are receptors in the brain that bind THC. When THC binds to these receptors, the person feels "high." Anandamide is a lipid that is normally found in the brain; it can bind to the same receptors as THC and thus produce a similar effect to "being high."
Does chocolate affect the brain in the same way marijuana does? There are chemicals in chocolate that act like THC, resulting in production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. However, there is no THC in chocolate, so you aren't breaking the law by eating chocolate. One of the compounds in chocolate is anandamide, which is already produced in your brain. If anandamide is already in your brain, then why don't you feel happy all the time? Well, anandamide is broken down quickly, so it isn't around long in your brain to make you smile. But chocolate may extend the feelings of well being. Piomelli's research indicates that there are two chemicals in chocolate which inhibit the natural breakdown of anandamide. This may be a reason why we like to eat chocolate! And dark chocolate contains more of these compounds than milk chocolate.
Eating a bar of chocolate will not make you feel giddy or "high." This may be because anandamide and the two compounds that enhance its effect are short-lived and localized in the brain. THC activates many receptors throughout the brain, so it has a much larger effect. Chocolate's effect is limited because anandamide is not present all over the brain. Scientists doubt if anandamide and other chemicals in chocolate have much effect because they are present only in small amounts. Christian Felder at the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that a 130-pound person would have to eat 25 pounds of chocolate at one time to get any marijuana-like effect. Also, because these compounds are eaten, it's difficult to determine how much enters the bloodstream and actually reaches the brain.
There may also be other explanations for the feelings caused by chocolate and these may have nothing to do with cannabinoids, anandamide, or receptors. There are many other components in chocolate that may play a role in its popularity. Eating chocolate may be pleasurable because of a unique interaction among a few of its components.
Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a chemical related to amphetamines. Like amphetamines, this chemical causes blood pressure and blood-sugar levels to rise, resulting in a feeling of alertness and contentment. Phenylethylamine has been called the "love-drug" because it quickens your pulse, as if you are in love. Caffeine in chocolate may also cause feelings of alertness and a pounding heart. Other stimulants in chocolate include theobromine and methylxanthines. These caffeine-relatives are weaker than caffeine-you'd have to eat more than 12 Hershey bars to get as much caffeine as there is in one cup of coffee. All of these stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Regards, Ivan
Isn't she the woman who pioneered the Heimen Maneuver ? Or am I thinking of something else?
Is this implying that men think with their d!cks?
I am offended!
Do these studies have anything to do with hairy palms?
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