6-Hydroxydopamine lesions enhance progesterone-facilitated lordosis of rats and hamsters, independent of effects on motor behavior

PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR

卷:99

Article

Frye, Cheryl A.^1,2,3,4  Petralia, Sandra M.¹  Rhodes, Madeline E.¹  DeBold, Joseph F.⁵ 

[1] SUNY Albany, Dept Psychol, Albany, NY 12222 USA

[2] SUNY Albany, Dept Biol Sci, Albany, NY 12222 USA

[3] SUNY Albany, Ctr Life Sci, Albany, NY 12222 USA

[4] SUNY Albany, Neurosci Res Ctr, Albany, NY 12222 USA

[5] Tufts Univ, Dept Psychol, Medford, MA 02155 USA

关键词: Sexual receptivity;    Female sexual behavior;    Ventral Tegmental Area;    Nucleus Accumbens;    Caudate Nucleus;    Striatum;    Mesolimbic;    Dopamine;    Non-genomic;    Progestin;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.09.006

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is an important brain area for progesterone (P(4))'s effects to facilitate female sexual behavior of rodents. We investigated the importance of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA, and two dopaminergic projection sites, the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), and Caudate Nucleus of the Striatum (CN), in modulating P(4)-facilitated sex and motor behavior. Ovariectomized (ovx) rats and hamsters, administered estradiol benzoate (10 mu g) and P(4) (0, 50, 100, 200, or 500 mu g), were tested for motor behavior in a chamber that automatically records horizontal beam breaks, and for sexual behavior in response to a sexually-experienced male. Animals were tested once a week until each P(4) dosage was received; animals then had bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or sham lesions to the VTA NAc, or CN and were re-tested at each P(4) dosage on subsequent weeks. Fixed brains were stained with cresyl violet and processed for dopamine transporter (DAT) immunoreactivity. The number of cresyl violet stained cells was significantly lower in all 6-OHDA infusion sites compared to non-6-OHDA infusion sites of rats and hamsters. Also, in rats, the number of DAT-immunoreactive neurons was lower in all 6-OHDA infusion sites compared to non-6-OHDA infusion sites. In rats, 6-OHDA but not sham, lesions to the VTA, NAc, or CN produced P(4)-dependent increases in lordosis quotients and resulted in modest increases in motor behavior. In hamsters, 6-OHDA, but not sham, lesions to the VTA, NAc, or CN produced P(4)-dependent increases in total lordosis durations and produced modest decreases in motor behavior. This suggests that the dopaminergic output neurons of midbrain VIA may play an important role in modulation Of P(4)-facilitated sexual lordosis among rodents. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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