No abstract

Background: The prostate is a key gland in the sexual physiology of male mammals. Its sensitivity to steroid hormones is widely known, but its response to prolactin is still poorly known. Previous studies have shown a correlation between sexual behaviour, prolactin release and prostate physiology. Thus, here we used the sexual behaviour of male rats as a model for studying this correlation. Hence, we developed experimental paradigms to determine the influence of prolactin on sexual behaviour and prostate organization of male rats.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors in cerebellar Bergmann glial cells are linked to transcriptional regulation and, by these means, are thought to play an important role in plasticity, learning and memory and in several neuropathologies. Within the CNS, the transcription factors of the POU family bind their target DNA sequences after a growth factordependent phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cascade. Exposure of cultured Bergmann glial cells to glutamate leads to a time-and dose-dependent increase in Oct-2 DNAbinding activity. The use of specific pharmacological tools established the involvement of Ca 2+ -permeable a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate receptors. Furthermore, the signaling cascade includes phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase as well as protein kinase C activation. Interestingly, transcriptional as well as translational inhibitors abolish the glutamate effect, suggesting a transcriptional up-regulation of the oct-2 gene. These data demonstrate that Oct-2 expression is not restricted to neurons and further strengthen the notion that the glial glutamate receptors participate in the modulation of glutamatergic cerebellar neurotransmission.

Serum concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone and dehydroepian drosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were measured in 29 patients with premature ovarian failure (POF) and an identical number of age-matched normal control subjects. The study was aimed at determining possible differences in androgen concentrations of ovarian and adrenal origin in POF patients and agematched normal menstruating controls. Serum testosterone and DHEAS con centrations in the 2 populations were not significantly different. The serum androstenedione concentration in the POF patient group (3,077.50 ± 1,122.33 pmol/1) was significantly lower than in age-matched normal control subjects (4,167.70 ± 1,381.09 pmol/1, p < 0.005), possibly reflecting the loss of ovarian androstenedione secretion and/or a subtle defect in adrenal steroido genic capacity.

Background: The prostate is a sexual gland that produces important substances for the potency of sperm to fertilize eggs within the female reproductive tract, and is under complex endocrine control. Taking advantage of the peculiar behavioral pattern of copulating male rats, we developed experimental paradigms to determine the influence of sexual behavior on the level of serum testosterone, prostate androgen receptors, and mRNA for androgen receptors in male rats displaying up to four consecutive ejaculations.