Sexual activity modulates neuroinflammatory responses in male rats

PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR

卷:197

Article

Pyter, Leah M.^1,2,3,4,5,6  Bever, Savannah R.^1,2,3  Khantsis, Sabina⁷  Glasper, Erica R.^7,8 

[1] Ohio State Univ, Werner Med Ctr, Inst Behav Med Res, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[2] Ohio State Univ, Dept Psychiat, Wexner Med Ctr, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[3] Ohio State Univ, Dept Behav Hlth, Wexner Med Ctr, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[4] Ohio State Univ, Wexner Med Ctr, Dept Neurosci, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[5] Ohio State Univ, Wexner Med Ctr, Behav Neuroendocrinol Grp, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[6] Ohio State Univ, Wexner Med Ctr, Solove Res Inst, Arthur G James Comprehens Canc Ctr, Columbus, OH 43210 USA

[7] Univ Maryland, Dept Psychol, College Pk, MD 20742 USA

[8] Univ Maryland, Program Neurosci & Cognit Sci, College Pk, MD 20742 USA

关键词: Mating;    Corticosterone;    Cytokines;    Lipopolysaccharide;    Tnf-alpha;    Microglia;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.09.009

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Immune activity influences reproduction, however, the extent to which mating experience may inversely alter immune pathways is poorly understood. A few studies in humans suggest that mating triggers a circulating immune and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response. In male rats, mating experience enhances neuroplasticity and improves cognitive function and affective-like behavior, independent of the physical activity component. Yet, the extent to which mating experience may influence immune responses in the brain remain unexplored. Here, we hypothesized that recent mating experience in male rats increases neuroinflammatory signaling (via lipopolysaccharide [LPS] stimulation, i.p.) and associated sickness behaviors (i.e., food intake, weight loss) relative to sexually-naive controls. Virgin male rats were exposed to a sexually non-receptive (control) or sexually-receptive female for 30 min for six consecutive days. Immediately following the last mating experience, rats were administered a saline or LPS injection and euthanized four hours later. Mating increased Tnf alpha responses to LPS in the brain, which positively correlated with LPS-induced weight loss. Mating also increased peripheral corticosterone among saline-treated rats, but this corticosterone response was attenuated in the most proficient copulators (e.g., shortest latencies). Thus, recent mating experience may be a unique modulator of select stimulated inflammatory signals that are relevant to adaptive neuroimmune responses and behavior.

【 授权许可】

Free