Annika Gunst

A Study of Possible Associations Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Serotonin Receptor 1A, 1B, and 2C Genes and Self‐Reported Ejaculation Latency Time

INTRODUCTION Previous research has indicated that serotonergic genes may influence ejaculatory function. Attempts to investigate effects of polymorphisms in serotonergic genes have been carried out, but so far, no study has conducted exploratory genotype analyses regarding the serotonin receptor 1A, 1B, and 2C subtypes, which have been hypothesized to mediate the inhibitory effects of serotonin on ejaculation in rodents. AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of a total of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in genes encoding serotonin receptor subtypes 1A, 1B, and 2C on self-reported ejaculation latency time. METHODS A retrospective self-report measure of ejaculation latency time was used to investigate ejaculatory function in a population-based sample of 1,399 male twins. DNA was collected using self-administered saliva sampling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Calculations of allelic effects were conducted using the Generalized Estimating Equations module of PASW 18.0, which appropriately controls for between-subjects dependence. RESULTS Out of six investigated polymorphisms, two SNPs (both serotonin receptor 5-HT(1B) linked) had a significant main effect on ejaculation latency time. Of these, one (rs11568817) remained significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, indicating that individuals homozygous for the G allele had significantly shorter ejaculation latencies. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study support the hypothesis that serotonergic genes play a role in ejaculatory function in the general population. Replication of the results of the present study is warranted.

Are Early and Current Erectile Problems Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Young Men? A Retrospective Self-Report Study

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been extensively studied in the past few decades, and significant advances have been made in understanding its etiology. Most cases of this type of dysfunction have an organic etiology, and ED occurs primarily in older men. However, relatively little is known about erectile problems in young men or about the interconnection between psychiatric symptoms and ED etiology. In this study, the authors investigated ED symptoms in a large, population-based sample of 18–48-year-old men. Participants reported ED symptoms from their first intercourse experience as well as those occurring at present. The authors assessed the association between reported ED symptoms during early partnered sexual experiences and present ED symptoms. Furthermore, the authors investigated associations between age, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and erectile problems. Results indicated that age was a significant predictor of ED problems already in young age groups. ED problems were prevalent to a much higher extent during early sexual intercourse experiences and appeared to pass with time for most men. Anxiety and depression were significant predictors of present erectile problems. Implications of the results and potential limitations were discussed.

Associations between Salivary Testosterone Levels, Androgen‐Related Genetic Polymorphisms, and Self‐Estimated Ejaculation Latency Time

Introduction Recently, testosterone (T) has been shown to be associated with premature ejaculation (PE) symptoms in the literature. Furthermore, studies suggest that the etiology of PE is partly under genetic control. Aim The aim of this study was to reassess findings suggesting an association between testosterone (T) and a key symptom of PE, ejaculation latency time (ELT), as well as exploratively investigating associations between six androgen-related genetic polymorphisms and ELT. Materials and Methods Statistical analyses were performed on a population-based sample of 1,429 Finnish men aged 18–45 years (M = 26.9, SD = 4.7). Genotype information was available for 1,345–1,429 of these (depending on the polymorphism), and salivary T samples were available from 384 men. Two androgen receptor gene-linked, two 5-alpha-reductase type 2-gene-linked, and two sex hormone-binding globuline gene-linked polymorphisms were genotyped. Main Outcome Measures Ejaculatory function was assessed using self-reported ELT. Results We found no association between salivary T levels and ELT. We found a nominally significant association between a 5-alpha-reductase type 2-gene-linked polymorphism (rs2208532) and ELT, but this association did not remain significant after correction for multiple testing. One single nucleotide polymorphism in the sex hormone-binding globulin gene (rs1799941) moderated (significantly after correction for multiple testing) the association between salivary T and ELT, so that A:A genotype carriers had significantly lower salivary T levels as a function of increasing ELT compared with other genotype groups. Conclusions We were unable to find support for the hypothesis suggesting an association between T levels and ELT, possibly because of the low number of phenotypically extreme cases (the sample used in the present study was population based). Our results concerning genetic associations should be interpreted with caution until replication studies have been conducted. Jern P, Westberg L, Ankarberg-Lindgren C, Johansson A, Gunst A, Sandnabba NK, and Santtila P. Associations between salivary testosterone levels, androgen-related genetic polymorphisms, and self-estimated ejaculation latency time. Sex Med 2014;2:107–114.

A Study of Possible Associations Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Estrogen Receptor 2 Gene and Female Sexual Desire

INTRODUCTION Female sexual desire and arousal problems have been shown to have a heritable component of moderate size. Previous molecular genetic studies on sexual desire have mainly focused on genes associated with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that hormones with more specific functions concerning sexuality could have an impact on sexual desire and arousal. AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effects of 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in estrogen receptor genes on female sexual desire and subjective and genital arousal (lubrication). Based on previous research, we hypothesized that ESR1 and ESR2 are relevant genes that contribute to female sexual desire and arousal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The desire, arousal, and lubrication subdomains of the Female Sexual Function Index self-report questionnaire were used. METHODS The present study involved 2,448 female twins and their sisters aged 18-49 who had submitted saliva samples for genotyping. The participants were a subset from a large-scale, population-based sample. RESULTS We found nominally significant main effects on sexual desire for three ESR2 -linked SNPs when controlled for anxiety, suggesting that individuals homozygous for the G allele of the rs1271572 SNP, and the A allele of the rs4986938 and rs928554 SNPs had lower levels of sexual desire. The rs4986938 SNP also had a nominally significant effect on lubrication. No effects for any of the SNPs on subjective arousal could be detected. CONCLUSIONS The number of nominally significant results for SNPs in the ESR2 gene before correcting for multiple testing suggests that further studies on the possible influence of this gene on interindividual variation in female sexual functioning are warranted. In contrast, no support for an involvement of ESR1 was obtained. Our results should be interpreted with caution until replicated in independent, large samples.

Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Investigate Associations between Ejaculatory Latency and Control in Partnered and Non-Partnered Sexual Activities

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) was used to investigate associations between, and variations in, ejaculatory control and ejaculation latency time (ELT) over repeated measurements of sexual activities. Differences between measures recorded in partnered or non-partnered settings were also investigated. The sample consisted of 21 male Finns aged 18 years or above, contributing a total of 158 reports of partnered and non-partnered sexual activities over a six-week period. In the context of non-partnered sexual activities, after controlling for within-subjects dependence, ELTs between events were predictive of one another, but ELT did not predict ejaculatory control when measured simultaneously, nor at subsequent events. Also, ejaculatory control could not predict simultaneously measured ELT or ejaculatory control at subsequent events. During partnered sexual activities, both ejaculatory control and ELT could be accurately predicted by observing ejaculatory control at prior events. In this context, ejaculatory control could also reliably predict simultaneously measured ELT. ELT or ejaculatory control during partnered sexual activity could not be predicted by observing ELT at prior events. Between-event correlations were generally low, indicating considerable variation in ejaculatory functioning over time. EMA is a thrifty assessment method for studying variations in ejaculatory function, and is likely suitable for studying sexual dysfunctions in general.

A network analysis of female sexual function: comparing symptom networks in women with decreased, increased, and stable sexual desire

Problems related to low sexual desire in women are common clinical complaints, and the aetiology is poorly understood. We investigated predictors of change in levels of sexual desire using a novel network approach, which assumes that mental disorders arise from direct interactions between symptoms. Using population-based data from 1,449 Finnish women, we compared between-subject networks of women whose sexual desire decreased, increased, or remained stable over time. Networks were estimated and analyzed at T1 (2006) and replicated at T2 (2013) using R. Domains included were, among others, sexual functions, sexual distress, anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, and relationship status. Overall, networks were fairly similar across groups. Sexual arousal, satisfaction, and relationship status were the most central variables, implying that they might play prominent roles in female sexual function; sexual distress mediated between general distress and sexual function; and sexual desire and arousal showed different patterns of relationships, suggesting that they represent unique sexual function aspects. Potential group-differences suggested that sex-related pain and body dissatisfaction might play roles in precipitating decreases of sexual desire. The general network structure and similarities between groups replicated well; however, the potential group-differences did not replicate. Our study sets the stage for future clinical and longitudinal network modelling of female sexual function.