SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND HORMONES IN AGING MALES

我们建议扩大我们的研究范围，以确定除 睾丸素(T)可能是导致性行为下降的原因 上了年纪的男性。因为年长的雄性灵长类动物(24岁及以上)会 作为受试者的人已经接近最高预期寿命，而且许多人已经 经过15年的研究，这是一个独特的研究机会。我们的 目的是确定(1)性行为和血清激素水平。 老年雄性恒河猴和T水平升高对性行为的影响， (2)高龄男性健康状况每况愈下，性功能减退的程度 活动度及其对血清激素水平的影响；(3)T阈值水平 这将导致老年人(24岁及以上)的性行为水平 长期被阉割的雄性，与完好的雄性相当 同样的年龄，(4)阴茎反射与性有关的程度 正常和去势老年男性的表现和血清T水平，(5) 青少年(平均12岁)的性行为是否存在差异 在实验室配对测试中观察到的老年雄性也发生在 半自然主义社会环境，(6)差异(生理学 和行为)在少数能唤醒老年恒河猴的首选雌性之间 雄鱼交配，其他大多数雌鱼，谁不能，(7)精子 老年雄性恒河猴的活力和生育力，就像性行为一样，会下降 谁的血清T水平在年轻男性的范围内，(8)是否 作用于多巴胺和5-羟色胺能系统的药物影响 老年男性的性行为，(9)单独生活是否会增加 性行为下降的速度和对血清睾酮水平的影响 在老年大鼠，以及(10)阴茎乳头是否恶化，即我们 在老年大鼠身上观察到的结果反映了组织敏感度的下降或 反映了血清T水平的下降。这项研究寻求答案 与雄性哺乳动物衰老有关的问题，但每个实验都是 在不同程度上与所面临的性行为问题有关 老头子。重点是行为，但答案必须从数字中得出 包括内分泌学、解剖学、生理学和 比较心理学。我们的发现应该对实践感兴趣 性治疗师以及老年病学教授。

We propose to extend our research to identify factors other than testosterone (T) that may account for the decline in sexual behavior of aging males. Because the old male primates (24 years and older) that will serve as subjects are nearing maximum life expectancy, and many have been under study for over 15 years, this is a unique research opportunity. Our aims are to determine (1) sexual behavior and serum hormone levels in very old rhesus males and the effects of increasing T levels on sexual behavior, (2) the extent to which failing health in very old males reduces sexual activity and its effect on serum hormone levels, (3) threshold levels of T that will induce levels of sexual behavior in old (24 years and older) long-term-castrated males that are comparable to those of intact males of the same age, (4) the extent to which penile reflexes correlate with sexual performance and serum T levels in old intact and castrated males, (5) whether differences in the sexual behaviors of young (mean of 12 years) and old males observed in laboratory pair tests also occur in a semi-naturalistic social environment, (6) the differences (physiological and behavioral) between the few preferred females who can arouse old rhesus males to copulate and most other females, who cannot, (7) whether sperm motility and fertility, like sexual behavior, decline in old rhesus males whose serum T levels are within the range for young males, (8) whether drugs that act on the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems influence sexual behavior in old males, (9) whether living in isolation increases the rate of decline in sexual behavior and influences serum testosterone levels in old rats, and (10) whether the deterioration of penile papillae that we have observed in old rats reflects a decrease in tissue sensitivity or reflects a decrease in serum T levels. The research seeks answers to questions relevant to aging male mammals in general, but each experiment is relevant in varying degrees to the problems of sexual behavior confronting old men. The focus is on behavior, but answers must be drawn from a number of disciplines, including endocrinology, anatomy, physiology, and comparative psychology. Our findings should be of interest to practicing sex therapists as well as professors of geriatrics.