The present invention provides a method of treating female sexual dysfunction, the method comprising the step of administering to a patent, having or at risk of having one or more of the disorders or conditions associated with female sexual dysfunction, a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not attenuate the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors. The present invention also provides a method of identifying a compound that is useful for the treatment or prevention of female sexual dysfunction, the method comprising the steps of: 1) determining if a compound affects the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors; 2) determining if a compound affects the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors; and 3) selecting a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not affect the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors.
本发明提供了一种治疗女性性功能障碍的方法,该方法包括向患有或有患上与女性性功能障碍相关的一个或多个疾病或状况的患者施用一种化合物的治疗有效量,该化合物减弱了类似鼠标的蛋白与黑素皮质素受体的结合,但不减弱α-
黑色素细胞刺激素与黑素皮质素受体的结合。本发明还提供了一种识别用于治疗或预防女性性功能障碍的化合物的方法,该方法包括以下步骤:1)确定化合物是否影响类似鼠标的蛋白与黑素皮质素受体的结合;2)确定化合物是否影响α-
黑色素细胞刺激素与黑素皮质素受体的结合;3)选择减弱类似鼠标的蛋白与黑素皮质素受体的结合,但不影响α-
黑色素细胞刺激素与黑素皮质素受体的结合的化合物。