Activation of Feminine Sexual Behavior in Castrated Male Rats by Intrahypothalamic Implants of Estradiol Benzoate

Davis, Paula G.; Barfield, Ronald J.

doi:10.1159/000122866

Cited by 37 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…While other studies have demonstrated local effects of steroid induced expression of vasopressin mRNA in the BST (Brot et al, 1992), the present study demonstrates an elevation of CCK mRNA in the projection site of the BST. It is well known that there are sites in the brain where direct application of estrogen stimulates lordosis behavior (e.g., the VMH) (Davis and Barfield, 1979;Davis et al, L982;Lisk, 1962). The present results suggest that besides local effects, estrogen implants may regulate the expression of molecules through a transsynaptic mechanism in projection sites that affect behavior.…”

Section: Site-specific Implantationsupporting

confidence: 54%

Induction of CCK mRNA levels in the limbic-hypothalamic circuit: Time course and site-specific effects of estrogen

Micevych¹,

Eckersell²,

Holland³

et al. 1996

J. Neurobiol.

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Section: Site-specific Implantationsupporting

confidence: 54%

Induction of CCK mRNA levels in the limbic-hypothalamic circuit: Time course and site-specific effects of estrogen

Micevych¹,

Eckersell²,

Holland³

et al. 1996

J. Neurobiol.

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“…In contrast, stimulation of the POA increases copulation in male mice (44), and the expression of c-Fos in the POA is increased in male mice (43,45,46). Within the POA, implants of estradiol promote sexual behaviors in male mice (22,47,48). In female mice, lesions of the POA decrease proceptivity and increase receptivity in female mice, whereas electrical stimulation of the MPA led to persistent decreases in lordosis (49,50) without interfering with proceptivity (50).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The preoptic region was soon established as a prime site for estrogenic hormone action in the brain (20); for instance, the preoptic region is the most effective brain site for estradiol application to enhance running wheel activity (20,21). With regard to sexual behaviors, application of estradiol to the preoptic region enhances copulatory behaviors (22), and preoptic implants of estrogen facilitate maternal care in female rats (23). Within the preoptic region, the most abundant receptor for estrogen is ERα, and binding of estradiol to ERα is necessary for facilitation of locomotion and maternal behaviors; in fact, animals with ERα knocked out exhibit significant impairments in maternal care and often display infanticidal behaviors (24).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

siRNA silencing of estrogen receptor-α expression specifically in medial preoptic area neurons abolishes maternal care in female mice

Ribeiro

Musatov

Shteyler

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The medial preoptic area has been shown to be intricately involved in many behaviors, including locomotion, sexual behavior, maternal care, and aggression. The gene encoding estrogen receptor-α (ERα) protein is expressed in preoptic area neurons, and a very dense immunoreactive field of ERα is found in the preoptic region. ERα knockout animals show deficits in maternal care and sexual behavior and fail to exhibit increases in these behaviors in response to systemic estradiol treatment. In the present study, we used viralvector mediated RNA interference to silence ERα expression specifically in the preoptic area of female mice and measured a variety of behaviors, including social and sexual aggression, maternal care, and arousal activity. Suppression of ERα in the preoptic area almost completely abolished maternal care, significantly increasing the latency to pup retrieval and significantly reducing the time the moms spent nursing and licking the pups. Strikingly, maternal aggression toward a male intruder was not different between control and preoptic ERα-silenced mice, demonstrating the remarkably specific role of ERα in these neurons. Reduction of ERα expression in preoptic neurons significantly decreased sexual behavior in female mice and increased aggression toward both sexual partners and male intruders in a seminatural environment. Estrogen-dependent increases in arousal, measured by home cage activity, were not mediated by ERα expression in the preoptic neurons we targeted, as ERα-suppressed mice had increases similar to control mice. Thus, we have established that a specific gene in a specific group of neurons is required for a crucially important natural behavior.ating back to the 1970s, the preoptic region has been implicated in a variety of complex, natural, biologically crucial behaviors, ranging from sexual behavior to locomotion to maternal care. These roles for the preoptic region were first demonstrated using lesion studies; for instance, radiofrequency, electrolytic, and cytotoxic lesions of the medial preoptic area (MPA) were shown to disrupt many components of maternal care (1-6). Likewise, electrolytic lesions (7-9), chemical lesions (9-11), or knife-cuts disrupting preoptic afferents (12,13) all severely impair or abolish male sexual behavior, whereas electrical stimulation of this region enhances male copulatory behaviors (14). Additionally, c-Fos expression, a marker of neuronal activation, is significantly increased in the preoptic region following copulatory behaviors (15). With respect to locomotor activity, there is ample evidence demonstrating that electrical or chemical stimulation of preoptic neurons enhances locomotor activity in rats (16)(17)(18)(19).Given the importance of the preoptic region in mediating these complex biologically relevant hormone-dependent behaviors, the next step was to establish the cytochemical make-up of these populations of neurons. Before immunocytochemical techniques were routinely used, placement of hormone extracts was used to delineate the hormone and...

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“…The role of the VMH in feminine sexual behavior is established due to its expression of steroid receptors (23,42), the behavioral responses to the locally administered estrogens (43), the impaired sexual behavior by VMH lesions (44,45), the facilitated lordosis reflex by electrical stimulation in the VMH (46), and the efferent connections of the VMH underlying female reproductive behaviors (47). Within the VMH, SF-1 plays an essential developmental role in establishing and maintaining morphological integrity for a functional nucleus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CNS-Specific Ablation of Steroidogenic Factor 1 Results in Impaired Female Reproductive Function

Kim¹,

Shen²,

Zhao³

et al. 2010

Endocrine Reviews

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Activation of Feminine Sexual Behavior in Castrated Male Rats by Intrahypothalamic Implants of Estradiol Benzoate

Cited by 37 publications

References 12 publications

Induction of CCK mRNA levels in the limbic-hypothalamic circuit: Time course and site-specific effects of estrogen

Induction of CCK mRNA levels in the limbic-hypothalamic circuit: Time course and site-specific effects of estrogen

siRNA silencing of estrogen receptor-α expression specifically in medial preoptic area neurons abolishes maternal care in female mice

CNS-Specific Ablation of Steroidogenic Factor 1 Results in Impaired Female Reproductive Function

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