A corticosteroid receptor in neuronal membranes

Roles of steroid hormones and their receptors in structural organization in the nervous system

Due to their chemical properties, steroid hormones cross the blood-brain barrier where they have profound effects on neuronal development and reorganization both in invertebrates and vertebrates, including humans mediated through their receptors. Steroids play a crucial role in the organizational actions of cellular differentiation representing sexual dimorphism and apoptosis, and in the activational effects of phenotypic changes in association with structural plasticity. Their sites of action are primarily the genes themselves but some are coupled with membrane-bound receptor/ion channels. The effects of steroid hormones on gene transcription are not direct, and other cellular components interfere with their receptors through cross-talk and convergence of the signaling pathways in neurons. These genomic and non-genomic actions account for the divergent effects of steroid hormones on brain function as well as on their structure. This review looks again at and updates the tremendous advances made in recent decades on the study of the role of steroid (gonadal and adrenal) hormones and their receptors on developmental processes and plastic changes in the nervous system.

Corticosterone facilitates long-term memory formation via enhanced glycoprotein synthesis

Long-term memory formation for a passive avoidance task in one-day-old chicks requires a late phase of synaptic glycoprotein synthesis (including the neural cell adhesion molecule), commencing 5.5 h post-training. This phase occurred in chicks trained with a strong, but not a weak aversant, which only retained this memory for a few hours (< 10). In addition, previous work has shown that a corticosteroid action through central corticosteroid receptors is also required for long-term passive avoidance memory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the corticosteroid action on memory formation might be exerted via modulation of the late phase of neural glycoprotein synthesis. One-day-old chicks were used as experimental subjects. Incorporation of the radiolabelled glycoprotein precursor [3H]fucose into synaptic membranes of the chick forebrain was used as an index of glycoprotein fucosylation. Bilateral intracerebral injections of a corticosterone dose (0.5 micrograms/hemisphere) that facilitates long-term retention of weak learning were able to induce the late phase of glycoprotein synthesis in undisturbed chicks. A further experiment examined the effect of antibodies against the neural cell adhesion molecule on the facilitatory action of corticosterone on long-term memory for the weak passive avoidance training. Chicks trained on a weak aversant were injected with corticosterone (0.5 micrograms/hemisphere) 30 min post-training and testing occurred 24 h post-training. Administration of the neural cell adhesion molecule antibodies during the late phase (5.5 h post-training) blocked the facilitatory action of corticosterone on long-term memory. These findings further support the view that corticosteroids have a role in memory consolidation. In addition to previously proposed effects on gene transcription, these data suggest a post-translational glycosylation mechanism for the modulatory effect of corticosteroids on long-term memory formation.

Steroid hormone effects on neurons subserving behavior

Recent advances in understanding effects of steroid hormones at the level of individual neurons have been achieved using model systems. Steroid hormone effects on dendritic morphology, synaptic function and ionic conductances have been implicated in the regulation of behavior in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Particularly exciting are studies demonstrating steroid hormone effects on specific synaptic connections and ionic currents. There also has been important progress in understanding the diversity of sites and mechanisms of hormone action, encompassing both genomic and non-genomic effects of steroids on neuronal properties.

Glucocorticoid actions on synaptic plasma membranes: modulation of dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels

We have previously shown that glucocorticoids accelerate depolarization-induced 45Ca2+ influx in synaptosomes isolated from rat cerebral cortex, indicating that the steroids may modulate voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. The present study was undertaken to characterize the biochemical action of glucocorticoids on dihydropyridine-sensitive voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels known to be present in brain synaptosomes. The [3H]dihydropyridine labeled site was used as a marker to determine the levels of functional Ca2+ channels. No effect on equilibrium binding of [3H]PN 200-110 was found when membranes from disrupted synaptosomes were incubated with corticosterone as high as 1 microM. However, when intact synaptosomes were first incubated with corticosterone at 37 degrees C and then disrupted, a significant increase in [3H]PN 200-110 binding was found. Steroid incubation of synaptosomes at 0 degree C was ineffective. It appears that metabolic processes requiring intracellular factors were involved in the steroid action. In examining this possibility, [3H]PN 200-110 binding was activated in disrupted membranes by MgATP and Ca(2+)-calmodulin, and corticosterone was found to enhance the activation in a concentration-dependent manner. [3H]PN 200-110 binding to membranes was also activated by incubation with MgATP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but this activation was not enhanced by the steroid. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that the steroid promotes Ca2+ channel activity by enhancing calmodulin-dependent activation of the channels. The action on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in synaptic terminals may well be a mechanism whereby glucocorticoids modulate neuronal activity.

The neuroactive steroid 5 alpha-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone increases GABAergic postsynaptic inhibition in rat neocortical neurons in vitro

The neuroactive steroid 5 alpha-pregnane-3 alpha, 21-diol-20-one (5 alpha-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone; 5 alpha-THDOC) has been shown to potentiate GABA-induced chloride currents in cell cultures and subcellular preparations. In this study, we recorded from pyramidal neurons in an in vitro slice preparation of the adult rat frontal neocortex using intracellular microelectrodes. 5 alpha-THDOC (10 microM) increased and prolonged the inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP). The mean maximal synaptic conductance of the early, GABAA receptor-mediated, IPSP was enhanced to more than 700%, the one at the maximum of the late, partially GABAB receptor-mediated, IPSP to approximately 400%. The progesterone/glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU 38486 did not prevent the IPSP increase. At a concentration of 1 microM 5 alpha-THDOC increased only the early IPSP to about 125%. Responses to the iontophoretically applied specific GABAA receptor agonist muscimol but not to the specific GABAB receptor agonist L-baclofen were enhanced by 5 alpha-THDOC (10 microM). In the giga-seal whole-cell configuration when the GABAB receptor-mediated IPSP component was absent due to intracellular perfusion, 5 alpha-THDOC (10 microM) increased IPSPs to a similar extent as in the conventional microelectrode recordings. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials, resting membrane potential, input resistance and action potential amplitude were not affected by 5 alpha-THDOC (10 microM). These data demonstrate that in neocortical tissue of the rat 5 alpha-THDOC enhances GABAergic inhibition by interacting with postsynaptic GABAA receptors while synaptic excitation and parameters of electric excitability remain unchanged.

The effects of dexamethasone on transcapillary transport in experimental brain tumors: II. Canine brain tumors

We studied the effect of dexamethasone on transcapillary transport in ten Avian Sarcoma Virus (ASV)-induced canine brain tumors, before and one week after administration of dexamethasone, 2.5 mg/kg/day. A computed tomographic (CT) method was used to measure regional values of K1 (blood-to-tissue transfer constant), k2 (tissue-to-blood efflux constant), and Vp (tissue plasma vascular space) of meglumine iothalamate (Conray-60); the values were reconstructed for each 0.8 x 0.8 x 5 mm volume element of the CT data. For all tumors considered together, there was a decrease in the whole tumor K1 value of meglumine iothalamate from 26 +/- 2.2 (SE) before dexamethasone to 24 +/- 2.9 microliters/g/min after dexamethasone. Vp decreased from 7.2 +/- 0.7 to 6.7 +/- 0.9 ml/100 g, and the size of the tumor extracellular space (Ve) decreased from 0.30 to 0.26 ml/g. These changes were not statistically significant. However, when each tumor was used as its own control, K1 significantly decreased after dexamethasone in four tumors, significantly increased in two and was unchanged in four. These results suggest that decreased blood-to-tissue transport may be one mechanism underlying resolution of tumor associated cerebral edema in some brain tumors and that the effects of dexamethasone on blood-to-tissue transport in brain tumors are variable from one tumor to the next. Decreased 'permeability' may not be the sole mechanism by which dexamethasone reduces tumor-associated cerebral edema.

Rapid effects of aldosterone on sodium transport in vascular smooth muscle cells

Increasing evidence has accumulated for rapid nongenomic steroid actions in various cell systems and, more recently, for rapid aldosterone effects on the Na(+)-H+ antiport in human mononuclear leukocytes. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate a rapid, nongenomic aldosterone action in rat vascular smooth muscle cells as a key effector cell in cardiovascular regulation. Basal 22Na+ influx in quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells was 22.1 +/- 1.9 nmol/mg protein per minute (mean +/- SEM, n = 9). Aldosterone (1 nmol/L) stimulated influx to 28.6 +/- 1.5 nmol/mg protein per minute after 4 minutes (n = 9, P < .05), with a half-maximal effect between 0.1 and 0.5 nmol/L; the effects were inhibited by ethylisopropylamiloride, the specific inhibitor of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger, demonstrating the involvement of this transport system in rapid effects of aldosterone. Hydrocortisone (1 mumol/L) was ineffective, and fludrocortisone and deoxycorticosterone increased influx with half-maximal effects at approximately 0.5 nmol/L. Canrenone, a classic antagonist of aldosterone action, did not inhibit stimulation by aldosterone at a 1000-fold excess concentration. Aldosterone significantly stimulated intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels (P < .05) after 30 seconds; the inhibitors of phospholipase C, neomycin and U-73122, inhibited aldosterone-stimulated Na+ influx and increase of intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The rapid stimulation of sodium transport in vascular smooth muscle cells and the pharmacological characteristics of this effect are clearly incompatible with the classic, genomic pathway of steroid action and represent further evidence for nongenomic effects of aldosterone.

Regulation of calmodulin content in synaptic plasma membranes by glucocorticoids

Synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) from the brain are known to have specific binding sites for several steroid hormones, but the mechanisms of membrane transduction of steroid signals is not understood. In this study, corticosterone was found to prevent temperature-dependent dissociation of endogenous calmodulin (CaM) from highly purified SPM from rat cerebral cortex. The steroid stabilizes Ca(2+)-dependent membrane binding of endogenous CaM (78% of total CaM), whereas Ca(2+)-independent binding of CaM (the other 22%) is not affected. The stabilization of membrane binding of endogenous CaM by corticosterone is concentration-dependent, with the maximal effect occurring at steroid concentration of 1 microM. The EC50 is estimated as 130 nM, which is almost identical to the Kd of specific binding of the steroid to SPM (120 nM) reported previously. The effect in stabilizing membrane binding of CaM is specific to corticosterone and other glucocorticoids (cortisol, dexamethasone and triamcinolone); gonadal steroids (17 (17 beta-estradiol, progesterone and testosterone) are ineffective. Furthermore, corticosterone administration in vivo (2 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a rapid increase of CaM content in SPM, occurring within 5 min after steroid injection and persisting for at least 20 min. Since CaM mediates a variety of biochemical processes in synaptic membranes, we hypothesize that the effect of glucocorticoids in promoting membrane binding of CaM may lead to a cascade of consequences in synaptic membrane function.

Cholesterol limits estrogen uptake by liposomes and erythrocyte membranes

Multilamellar vesicles (MLV) were prepared from phospholipids with and without cholesterol in equimolar amounts and [4-14C]estradiol. Unincorporated estrogen was removed by petroleum ether extraction or by aqueous buffer washes. In either case, cholesterol-containing vesicles incorporated one-half the estradiol as vesicles without sterol. Addition of estradiol to preformed vesicles followed by buffer washes showed that vesicles without cholesterol invariably retained more estradiol than those with the sterol. Reduction of the cholesterol content to one-half increased estradiol incorporation. The pattern of estradiol removal from MLV with successive buffer washes indicated that much of the steroid associated with cholesterol-containing vesicles was superficially bound to the membrane but vesicles without cholesterol incorporated the estrogen into the bilayer structure. To test the role of cholesterol in limiting the uptake of an estrogen by cells, right-side out resealed ghosts of ox erythrocytes were prepared. They were partially depleted of cholesterol by exposure to small unilamellar vesicles of dioleoylphosphatidyl choline. A decrease in cholesterol content correlates with an increase in estradiol uptake by red cell ghosts. The experiments described point to a central role of cholesterol in limiting the uptake of steroids. The loss of cholesterol of steroid producing cells caused by tropic hormones may be key to their mode of action in promoting secretion of steroid hormones. Likewise, the long-term genomic responses of steroid target cells may depend upon their cholesterol content and the ease by which the steroid can penetrate the membrane barrier.

Adrenal steroid receptors: interactions with brain neuropeptide systems in relation to nutrient intake and metabolism

The glucocorticoid, corticosterone (CORT), is believed to have an important function in modulating nutrient ingestion and metabolism. Recent evidence described in this review suggests that the effects of this adrenal hormone are mediated through two steroid receptor subtypes, the type I mineralocorticoid receptor and the type II glucocorticoid receptor. These receptors, which have different affinities for CORT, respond to different levels of circulating hormone. They mediate distinct effects of the steroid, which can be distinguished by the specific nutrient ingested and by the particular period of the circadian cycle. Under normal physiological conditions, the type I receptor is tonically activated, either by low basal levels of circulating CORT (0.5-2 microgram %) normally available across the circadian cycle or possibly by the mineralocorticoid aldosterone. This type I activation is required for the maintenance of fat ingestion and fat deposition that occurs during most meals of the feeding cycle. In contrast, the type II receptor is phasically activated by moderate levels of CORT (2-10 micrograms %) normally reached during the circadian peak. Activation of this receptor is required for the natural surge in carbohydrate ingestion and metabolism that is essential at the onset of the active feeding cycle when the body's glycogen stores are at their nadir, and gluconeogenesis is needed to maintain blood glucose levels. This receptor is also activated during periods of increased energy requirements, such as, after exercise and food restriction, when CORT levels rise further (> 10 micrograms %) and when its catabolic effects on fat and protein stores predominate to provide additional substrates for glucose homeostasis. These functions of CORT on fat and carbohydrate balance are mediated, in part, by type I and type II receptors located within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, which is known to have key functions in controlling nutrient intake and metabolism, as well as circulating CORT levels. Moreover, the type II receptors within this nucleus, in addition to the arcuate nucleus, may interact positively with the peptide, neuropeptide Y, and the catecholamine, norepinephrine, both of which act to enhance natural carbohydrate feeding and CORT release at the onset of the natural feeding cycle. Thus, under normal conditions, endogenous CORT has a primary function in controlling nutrient ingestion and metabolism over the natural circadian cycle, through the coordinated action of the type I and type II steroid receptor systems. Through this action, CORT has impact on total caloric intake and body weight gain over the long term.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Organizing action of corticosterone on the development of behavioral inhibition in the preweanling rat

Altricial rat pups develop the ability to freeze and to terminate their emission of ultrasonic vocalizations when exposed to an unfamiliar adult male rat. This developmental competence in expressing behavioral inhibition is impaired when rat pups are adrenalectomized (ADX) on postnatal day 10, a period prior to the emergence of behavioral inhibition. Adrenalectomy, however, fails to induce similar behavioral deficits when performed after behavioral inhibition has developed. Results suggest that adrenal steroids are involved in promoting the development but not the activation of behavioral inhibition. To critically test this hypothesis, four groups of rats were adrenalectomized on day 10 and tested for behavioral inhibition on day 18. Prior to testing, one group of rats received daily s.c. injections of vehicle whereas another group was treated with daily injections of 3.0 mg/kg of corticosterone (B). The other two groups of rats received daily B injections on only days 10-13 or days 14-17. Results indicated that ADX rats treated with B only on days 10-13 as well as throughout exhibited significantly higher levels of freezing than the other two treatment groups. In order to evaluate whether the behavioral inhibitory deficits produced by ADX at 10 days of age are due to a delayed insensitivity to the 3.0 mg/kg dose of B, day 10 pups were ADX and injected on days 14-17 with doses of B as high as 12 mg/kg. When tested for behavioral inhibition on day 18, these high doses of B were found to be ineffective in potentiating freezing above the level of vehicle-treated rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alpha 2-adrenoceptor blockade, pituitary-adrenal hormones, and agonistic interactions in rats

The effects of adrenergic activation on aggressiveness and the aggression induced endocrine changes were tested in rats. Alpha 2 adrenoceptor blockers were used for enhancing activation of the adrenergic system, and changes in aggressiveness were tested in resident-intruder contests. Three experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, saline injected rats responded to the presence of an opponent by aggression and the increase in plasma ACTH and corticosterone. Intraperitoneal administration of 1 mg/kg CH-38083 (an alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonist) produced a several fold increase in clinch fighting and mutual upright scores, and also further enhanced the plasma ACTH and corticosterone response. In experiment 2, the effect of three doses (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg) of three different alpha 2 adrenoceptor blockers CH-38083, idazoxan and yohimbine were tested. All the substances increased aggression at 0.5 and 1 mg/kg; at 2 mg/kg the effect of idazoxan and yohimbine disappeared, while with CH-38083 an additional increase was obtained. In yohimbine treated animals the enhancement of aggression was reduced already at 1 mg/kg. In experiment 3, indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of the catecholamine-induced ACTH release completely abolished the effects of the alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonist CH-38083: the intensity of agonistic interactions, as well as ACTH and corticosterone plasma concentrations, returned to control levels. The possible role of catecholamines and the stress hormones in the activation of aggression is discussed.

Corticosteroid receptor antagonists are amnestic for passive avoidance learning in day-old chicks

Glucocorticoids can modulate behavioural processes and neural plasticity. They are released during learning situations and can trigger neural actions through binding to brain receptors. We hypothesized that a glucocorticoid action could play a critical role in the mechanisms involved in long-term memory formation. In order to test this hypothesis, chicks were trained on a passive avoidance learning task and given bilateral intracerebral injections of selective mineralocorticoid (RU-28318) or glucocorticoid (RU-38486) receptor antagonists. The results showed that both antagonists alter information processing when injected prior to the training session. Possible state-dependent effects were discharged. Further experiments evaluating possible effects of the antagonists on concomitant aspects of the learning situation (such as novelty reaction and pecking pattern) indicated that, as opposed to the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, the mineralocorticoid antagonist altered the birds' reactivity to non-specific aspects of the training task. These results suggest that the two types of intracellular corticosteroid receptors could be mediating different aspects of the information processing and storage involved in avoidance learning. In addition, this study points out that passive avoidance learning in the chick could be a good model to investigate the biochemical mechanisms involved in corticosteroid actions on learning-induced neural plasticity.

Brain formation of oestrogen in the mouse: sex dimorphism in aromatase development

Steroid sex hormones have an organizational role in gender-specific brain development. Aromatase, converting testosterone (T) to oestradiol-17 beta (E2), is a key enzyme in the brain and the regulation of this enzyme is likely to determine availability of E2 effective for neural differentiation. In rodents, oestrogens are formed very actively during male perinatal brain development. This paper reviews work on the sexual differentiation of the brain aromatase system in vitro. Embryonic day 15 mouse hypothalamic culture aromatase activity (AA: mean Vmax = 0.9 pmol/h/mg protein) is several times greater than in the adult, whereas apparent Km is similar for both (approximately 30-40 nM). Using microdissected brain areas and cultured cells of the mouse, sex differences in hypothalamic AA during both early embryonic and later perinatal development can be demonstrated, with higher E2 formation in the male than in the female. The sex differences are brain region-specific, since no differences between male and female are detectable in cultured cortical cells. AA quantitation and immunoreactive staining with an aromatase polyclonal antibody both identify neuronal rather than astroglial localizations of the enzyme. Kainic acid eliminates the gender difference in hypothalamic oestrogen formation indicating, furthermore, that this sex dimorphism is neuronal. Gender-specific aromatase regulation is regional in the brain. Oestrogen formation is specifically induced in cultured hypothalamic neurones of either sex by T, since androgen has no effect on cortical cells. Androgen is clearly involved in the growth of hypothalamic neurones containing aromatase. It appears that differentiation of the brain involves maturation of a gender-specific network of oestrogen-forming neurones.

Steroid modulation of GABAA receptors in an amphibian brain

Steroids can modulate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor function in rat brains, but the physiological relevance of this mechanism is still unclear. To determine whether this phenomenon is widespread among vertebrates, we investigated steroid modulation of GABAA receptors in amphibian brain tissue. Equilibrium binding parameters for t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate ([35S]TBPS) and [3H]flunitrazepam were similar in Taricha granulosa and mammalian brains, as was the allosteric regulation of [35S]TBPS and [3H]flunitrazepam binding by GABA. The rank order and absolute potencies of steroids to inhibit [35S]TBPS binding and enhance [3H]flunitrazepam binding were also similar in Taricha and rat brains. As in mammalian studies, physiological concentrations of corticosterone had no effect on ligand binding or GABA-stimulated Cl- uptake. In autoradiographic studies, 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one inhibited [35S]TBPS binding sites in all brain regions examined, whereas corticosterone had no effect on [35S]TBPS binding. These studies suggest that the steroid recognition sites on GABAA receptors have been highly conserved through vertebrate evolution and thus portend physiologically important functions. However, the pharmacological profiles for the GABAA receptor and the high-affinity corticosteroid receptor are apparently different, suggesting there are multiple types of steroid recognition sites on neuronal membranes.

Vasopressin V1 receptor in rat hippocampus is regulated by adrenocortical functions

Two subtypes of arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptors (V1 and V2) have been distinguished. In this study, we examined the characteristics of AVP binding in rat hippocampus and the effects of bilateral adrenalectomy and adrenal steroids on its [3H]AVP binding. [3H]AVP binding to rat liver and the hippocampal membranes was strongly inhibited by the V1 antagonist, OPC-21268. ADX resulted in a significant decrease in the Bmax of AVP binding in the hippocampus. Chronic treatment with aldosterone and corticosterone restored the ADX-induced reduction, but treatment with dexamethasone did not. These results suggest that the AVP V1 receptor in the hippocampus is regulated by adrenocortical neuroregulatory functions.

Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in the brain. Implications for ion permeability and transmitter systems

In this review we have argued that corticosteroid hormones represent an endocrine signal that can influence neuronal communication. The steroids bind to intracellular receptors in the brain, resulting in slow effects that involve gene transcription, but they may also evoke rapid effects via membrane receptors. The signal carried by the corticosteroids is therefore divergent with respect to the dimension of space and time. Within the rat brain, at least two intracellular receptor subtypes, i.e. MRs and GRs, bind corticosterone. The affinity, density and localization of the MRs is different from the GRs, although the actual properties may vary somewhat depending on the condition of the animal. In general, due to the difference in affinity, low corticosteroid levels result in a predominant MR occupation, while higher steroid levels additionally occupy GRs. Recent studies indicate that predominant MR occupation is important for the maintenance of ongoing transmission in certain brain regions and for neuroprotection. By contrast, additional GR occupation (for a limited period of time) results in an attenuation of local excitability; yet, prolonged exposure to high steroid levels may become an endangering condition for neurons. Since predominant MR occupation on the one hand and additional GR occupation on the other hand induce different cellular actions, the ratio of MR/GR occupation is an important factor determining the net effect of corticosteroid hormones in the brain. How coordinated MR- and GR-mediated effects control neuronal communication under various physiological and pathological conditions will be a challenge for future research.

Sound stress activation of tryptophan hydroxylase blocked by hypophysectomy and intracranial RU 38486

The rapidly reversible increase in cortical or midbrain tryptophan hydroxylase activity observed ex vivo after exposure of rats to 1-h sound stress was blocked by hypophysectomy, but not sham hypophysectomy, and restored by dexamethasone administration to the hypophysectomized animals (500 micrograms/day i.p. for 3 days). The response to sound stress was also lost with deafferentation of the hypothalamus. These results indicate that hypothalamic control of adrenal glucocorticoids is required for the serotonergic response to sound stress. The glucocorticoid antagonist, RU 38486, given intracerebroventricularly (200 micrograms/day for 4-5 days) or bilaterally, into the region of the central nucleus of the amygdala (100 micrograms 15 min before stress), blocked the sound stress-induced increase in tryptophan hydroxylase activity. In contrast, the antimineralocorticoid, RU 26752, was without effect. The block obtained with RU 38486 suggests that glucocorticoid is required by the neurons that relay the effects of sound stress to the rostrally projecting serotonergic neurons.

Partial purification of a putative membrane bound androgen binding protein in the dog cauda epididymis

1. An androgen binding protein(s) has been partially purified from cell plasma membranes of dog epididymides. 2. The protein(s) has a pI of 5.3 and an association constant of (1.13 x 10(9) M-1). 3. Conclusive demonstration of androgen receptors in epididymal plasma membranes would be of significance in understanding epididymal physiology.

Type II glucocorticoid receptors in the CNS regulate metabolism in ob/ob mice independent of protein synthesis

A single intracerebroventricular injection of dexamethasone rapidly (within 30 min) decreases brown adipose tissue thermogenesis by 25% as assessed by GDP binding and increases plasma insulin twofold in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice. The present study investigated the type of corticoid receptor(s) that mediate these effects and determined whether protein synthesis was necessary for expression of these glucocorticoid actions in ob/ob mice. Intracerebroventricular injection of aldosterone (a type I-corticoid receptor agonist) was ineffective in altering peripheral metabolism in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice, whereas RU-486 (a type II-corticoid receptor antagonist) abolished the effects of dexamethasone. Thus type II-like corticoid receptors, not type I receptors, mediated the rapid effects of dexamethasone in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice. Anisomycin (0.5 mg) administered subcutaneously almost completely suppressed (-92%) cerebral protein synthesis, but anisomycin did not abolish the rapid effects of dexamethasone in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice. Thus protein synthesis is not a prerequisite for rapid effects of dexamethasone in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice.

Glucocorticoid actions on synaptic plasma membranes: modulation of [125I]calmodulin binding

The effects of corticosterone on Ca(2+)-dependent binding of [125I]calmodulin to purified synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) from rats brain were characterized. The enhancement of [125I]calmodulin binding was a sigmoidal function of steroid concentration, with the maximal increase (> 55% above control) occurring at a steroid concentration of 1 x 10(-6) M and EC50 estimated at 1-2 x 10(-7) M. Other glucocorticoids including hydrocortisone, dexamethasone and triamcinolone produced similar effects, whereas steroids without glucocorticoid activity such as 11-deoxycortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone and cholesterol were ineffective. The steroid-induced increase of binding was correlated with an increase of membrane affinity for [125I]calmodulin as shown by Scatchard analysis, and a decrease of the rate of dissociation of [125I]calmodulin from the membranes as shown by kinetic analysis. Arrhenius analysis indicates that [125I]calmodulin binding was influenced by lipid transition of the membranes and that corticosterone resulted in a shift of membrane transition toward a higher temperature. Since a variety of biochemical processes associated with synaptic membranes are dependent upon calmodulin for their regulation, we hypothesize that the effects of glucocorticoids in promoting membrane binding of calmodulin may lead to a cascade of alterations in synaptic function.

Steroid-neuropeptide interactions that control reproductive behaviors in an amphibian

Investigations into the neuroendocrine regulation of reproductive behaviors in an amphibian (Taricha granulosa) reveal the same basic repertoire of chemical messengers as regulators of male behaviors in other vertebrates. These studies have identified seasonal neural interactions between gonadal steroids and neuropeptides that facilitate male courtship behavior. In addition, this species has served to elucidate how stress-induced suppression of courtship is mediated by corticosterone action through a neuronal membrane receptor and subsequent, rapid neurophysiological effects. These findings indicate that a principal mechanism by which steroids and neuropeptides control male reproductive behavior is the modulation of neural processing of specific sensory stimuli.

In search of the mechanism of action of the nootropics: new insights and potential clinical implications

The positive action of nootropics on the memory has up to now primarily been discussed in the context of effects on energy metabolism and cholinergic or glutaminergic neurotransmission. Recent findings have shown that the memory-enhancing effect is steroid-sensitive. Since corticosteroids are potent modulators of gene transcription, it appears possible that the nootropics may exert a modulatory action on protein synthesis. This assumption is supported on the one hand by the fact that the nootropics improve the memory even if they are administered several hours after the learning trial, and on the other hand by the observation that their memory-enhancing effect does not become detectable until 16-24 hours after the treatment and learning trial. Provided the memory-enhancing effect in animal experiments and the therapeutic effect in patients come about by way of the same mode of action, the fact that high levels of corticosteroids suppress the effects of the nootropics could also have clinical implications: in the light of the observation that the majority of Alzheimer patients have elevated steroid levels it could explain why there is always only a small proportion of patients in clinical trials that respond to treatment with nootropics.

The pharmacology of the nootropics; new insights and new questions

Up to now, the memory-enhancing effect of the nootropics has chiefly been investigated in the context of effects on energy metabolism and on cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Recent studies have also shown that the effect on memory is steroid-sensitive. The present review article summarizes the available results and discusses them in the context of a new hypothesis on the mechanism of action and with respect to clinical implications.

Neurosteroid biosynthesis: genes for adrenal steroidogenic enzymes are expressed in the brain

To determine if neurosteroids (steroids synthesized in the brain) are produced by enzymes found in steroidogenic tissues, we determined if mRNA for five steroidogenic enzymes could be detected in brain tissues or cultured cells. We detected mRNAs for adrenodoxin, P450scc (cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme) and P450c11 beta (11 beta-hydroxylase) but not for P450c17 (17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase) or P450c11AS (aldosterone synthase) in rat brains and cultures of rat glial cells. P450scc mRNA abundance in brain or primary glial cultures was approximately 0.01% of that found in the adrenal, but more P450scc mRNA was detected in C6 glial cells. Both P450scc and P450c11 beta mRNAs were most abundant in the cortex, but there were region-specific differences for both mRNAs, and sex-specific differences for P450c11 beta mRNA. P450scc mRNA was equally abundant in mixed glial cultures containing both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes as in astrocyte-enriched cultures, and P450scc immunoreactivity co-localized with GFAP immunoreactivity in cultured astrocytes. P450c11 beta mRNA was not detected in the mixed primary glial cultures for the C6 glioma cell line that synthesize P450scc mRNA, suggesting that glial cells do not synthesize P450c11 beta mRNA. Thus some of the same enzymes involved in steroidogenesis in classic endocrine tissues are found in a cell-specific and region-specific fashion in the brain. Neurosteroids may be derivatives of known classic steroids, and/or may function through non-classic steroid hormone receptors, such as GABAA, N-methyl-D-aspartate, and corticosterone receptors.

Modulation of carbachol responsiveness in rat CA1 pyramidal neurons by corticosteroid hormones

Pyramidal neurons in the rat CA1 hippocampal area contain membrane receptors for acetylcholine but also intracellular receptors for the adrenal corticosteroid hormone corticosterone, i.e., mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). In this in vitro study we investigated if occupation of MRs or GRs affects the responsiveness of CA1 pyramidal neurons to the cholinergic analogue carbachol. In slices from adrenally intact rats, where probably most of the MRs and a considerable degree of the GRs were occupied, carbachol (0.1-30 microM) induced a dose-dependent: (i) depolarization; (ii) reduction of the afterhyperpolarization and spike frequency accommodation associated with depolarizing current pulses; and (iii) reduction of the synaptically evoked EPSP, slow IPSP and (with higher doses) the fast IPSP. The carbachol responses in slices from adrenalectomized (ADX) rats, where both MRs and GRs are unoccupied, were generally similar to the responses in the adrenally intact controls. However, neurons recorded in slices from ADX rats 1-4 h after a brief (20 min) application of 3 nM aldosterone, thus predominantly occupying MRs, showed a significant reduction of the carbachol (1 microM) induced depolarization, when compared to the adrenally intact group. By contrast, neurons recorded in ADX slices treated with 30 nM corticosterone, inducing simultaneous activation of MRs and GRs, displayed significantly larger carbachol-evoked depolarizations (1 and 3 microM) than neurons in the three previous experimental groups. Carbachol-induced actions on the afterhyperpolarization, accommodation and synaptically evoked responses did not consistently depend on steroid receptor occupation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenalectomy attenuates stress-induced elevations in extracellular glutamate concentrations in the hippocampus

Glucocorticoids and stress have deleterious effects on hippocampal cell morphology and survival. It has been hypothesized that these effects are mediated via an excitatory amino acid mechanism. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of acute stress on the extracellular levels of glutamate in the hippocampus and to determine if adrenalectomy modifies this response. Rats were adrenalectomized or sham-adrenalectomized and implanted with microdialysis probes in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Three days later rats were subjected to an acute 1-h period of immobilization stress. Stress significantly increased extracellular glutamate levels in the sham-operated rats, which peaked at 20 min following the initiation of stress. Extracellular glutamate levels also increased immediately following the termination of stress. In the adrenalectomized rats there was a 30% decrease in basal extracellular concentrations of glutamate and a marked attenuation (-70%) of the stress-induced increase in extracellular glutamate levels. Extracellular concentrations of taurine were not modified by adrenalectomy and did not change in response to stress. These results suggest that glucocorticoid-induced elevations in extracellular glutamate concentrations may contribute to the deleterious effects of stress on hippocampal neurons.

Glucocorticoids antagonize the sedative action of ethanol in mice

The effect of corticosterone on sleep time in mice following a hypnotic dose of ethanol (3 g/kg) was determined. An acute dose of the steroid (10 mg/kg) administered 15 min prior to ethanol injection significantly shortened the sleep time (by 55%). Brain levels of ethanol were not affected by the steroid treatment. The effect was specific to glucocorticoids because steroids without glucocorticoid activity including testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol were ineffective. These results indicate that glucocorticoids have an antagonistic effect to the acute action of ethanol in the brain. The rapid onset of the corticosterone action in antagonizing ethanol-induced sedation suggests that the action is mediated by a membrane mechanism rather than the classical steroid mechanism involving an intracellular receptor and gene expression.

Subcellular compartmentalization of MCF-7 estrogen receptor synthesis and degradation

Turnover of the estrogen receptor protein was studied by using enucleation of human breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cells, to examine receptor synthesis and receptor degradation in the separated cytoplasmic compartment (cytoplasts) and nuclear compartment (nucleoplasts). Cytoplasts synthesized estrogen receptors as measured by both hormone-binding and immunoassay, while estrogen receptors (but not progesterone or glucocorticoid receptors) were rapidly degraded in nucleoplasts with a half-life of 3-4 h. Little or no degradation of estrogen receptors in cytoplasts was observed under several conditions. Interestingly, MCF-7 cytoplasts contained approximately 15% of the cell's estrogen receptors, which were not 'translocated' by treatment with 17 beta-estradiol before enucleation. We conclude that the estrogen receptor can be synthesized at least to a hormone binding form in the cytoplasm alone without requiring processing in the nucleus, while the nucleus (or perinuclear cytoplasm) is the primary site of degradation of the estrogen receptor protein. In addition, the presence of a population of estrogen receptors that is cytoplasmic but nontranslocatable may need to be considered in the subcellular localization and actions of steroid receptors.

Functional implications of brain corticosteroid receptor diversity

1. Corticosteroids readily enter the brain and control gene expression in nerve cells via binding to intracellular receptors, which act as gene transcription factors. In the rat brain corticosterone binds to mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) with a 10-fold higher affinity than to glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). As a consequence, these MRs are extensively occupied under basal resting conditions, while substantial GR occupation occurs at the circadian peak and following stress. Both receptors are colocalized in most, but not all, hippocampal neurons. In addition, some neurons contain aldosterone-selective MRs, if corticosterone is enzymatically inactivated. These aldosterone target neurons are presumably localized in the anterior hypothalamus, where they underlie central control of salt appetite and cardiovascular regulation. 2. The data show that MR- and GR-mediated effects proceed in a coordinate and often antagonistic mode of action: (i) in hippocampus MR activation maintains excitability, while GR occupancy suppresses excitability, which is transiently raised by excitatory stimuli; (ii) central MRs participate in control of the sensitivity of the neuroendocrine stress response system, while GRs are involved in termination of the stress response; (iii) MRs in the hippocampus have a role in regulation of behavioral reactivity and response selection. GR-mediated effects facilitate storage of information. 3. On the basis of these data, we propose that a relative deficiency or excess of MR- over GR-mediated neuronal effects may lead to a condition of enhanced or reduced responsiveness to environmental influences, alter behavioral adaptation, and promote susceptibility to stress. The findings may serve development of novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of stress-related brain diseases.

Developmental profile of glucocorticoid binding to synaptic plasma membrane from rat brain

The plasma membranes of several mammalian tissues including the brain are known to have specific binding sites for glucocorticoids. The developmental changes in specific glucocorticoid binding to synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) from rat brain were determined at various postnatal ages, using [3H]triamcinolone acetonide (TA) as the steroid ligand. The specific binding of the labeled glucocorticoid to SPM during the first 2 postnatal weeks was only 40% of the adult level. An increase of the specific binding occurred after day 15, and this developmental rise of binding reached the adult level approximately by the end of the fourth week. Methodologically, these developmental data are detailed in the present article to include nonspecific binding as well as specific binding. Scatchard analysis indicates that the developmental rise of the specific glucocorticoid binding was due to an increase in the membrane binding sites. The ontogenetic increase of membrane binding sites during postnatal brain development provides additional evidence that these binding sites have physiological significance in brain function.

Association of glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity with cell membrane and transport vesicles in hippocampal and hypothalamic neurons of the rat

The aim of the present study was to reveal at the ultrastructural level cytoplasmic loci that display glucocorticoid receptor (GR) immunoreactivity in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 sector of the hippocampus and in cells of the medial parvicellular subnucleus of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Adrenalectomized male rats were injected intraperitoneally with corticosterone (CS) (1 mg/100 g bw) and sacrificed within 4 hr. Vibratome sections of the perfusion-fixed forebrains were processed for immunocytochemical detection of type 2 GR by means of the BuGr, anti-rat liver GR monoclonal antibody and silver-gold-intensified diaminobenzidine chromogen. The corticosterone administration gradually shifted the GR immunoreactivity (IR) from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Samples taken 20-40 min after the steroid treatment demonstrated pyramidal cells expressing GR IR in both the cytoplasmic and nuclear pools. Although the chromatin-associated appearance of GR in the nucleus was identifiable at the light microscopic level, the nature of immunoreactive intracytoplasmic loci was not. Ultrastructural analysis of the cytoplasm indicated that fine silver-gold grains marking GR-immunoreactive sites associated with the plasma membrane and coated and regular vesicles. Noted occasionally beneath the plasma membrane of the cell bodies and dendrites, the vesicles also appeared at deeper locations in dendritic processes and around the cell nuclei. These results suggest that glucocorticoid receptors participate in signal transduction at the level of the cell membrane, as well as at the level of the genome in the cell nucleus.

Aromatase: neuromodulator in the control of behavior

Estrogens are required for both the organization of the brain in early development and adult behavior. Two approaches have been used in our laboratory to study the behavioral role of brain aromatase. First, brain metabolism of testosterone (T) has been related to behavior in the same individual using a well established neuroendocrine model, the ring dove, in which estradiol-17 beta (E2) has specific effects on brain mechanisms of male behavior. Aromatase in preoptic area (POA) (a) has a high activity (Vmax) and strong substrate binding affinity (Km < 5 nM), (b) is regulated by both androgens and estrogens, and the type of regulation differs according to brain area, (c) is influenced by products of an endogenous inactivating pathway, 5 beta-reduction; 5 beta-dihydrotestosterone and other 5 beta-reduced metabolites appear to be non-genomic regulators of the brain aromatase. Preoptic aromatase activity is also influenced by photoperiod and socio-sexual stimuli. The codistribution of regulated aromatase activity and estrogen receptor cells is found to be T-dependent. Our second approach has been to relate the aromatase system to developmental sex differences in brain structure and behavior of the Mongolian gerbil. Neonatal gerbil aromatase is relatively active in the POA, but has a weaker T substrate-binding affinity (Km = 30 nM) than the dove. T acting via its metabolite, E2, masculinizes the sexually dimorphic area of the hypothalamus; the differentiating effect is asymmetric. We suggest that the regulation of the brain aromatase system may be lateralized during steroid-sensitive periods of development.

P-3-BSA, but not P-11-BSA, implants in the VTA rapidly facilitate receptivity in hamsters after progesterone priming to the VMH

Recent evidence suggests that progesterone (P) may have behaviorally relevant actions on neuronal membranes in the ventral midbrain. In the present experiments, we exploited the rapid time course predicted for non-genomic actions of steroid hormones. Ovariectomized hamsters were implanted with chronic guide cannulae, one aimed above the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and the other over the contralateral ventral tegmental area (VTA). The following week animals were estrogen-primed (10 micrograms estradiol benzoate) and pre-tested for sexual receptivity 2 h after a P or P conjugated to the macromolecule bovine serum albumin (P-3-BSA) containing tube was applied to the VMH. P-3-BSA binds well to neuronal membranes, but does not penetrate them because of the large size of the BSA molecule. After the pre-test, the opposite hormone-containing insert was applied to the VTA and hamsters were tested again for sexual receptivity 5 min after this implantation. The following week, the contents of the tubes were reversed. Receptivity only occurred when P was applied to the VMH and 2 h later P-3-BSA was applied to the VTA; the reverse treatment was ineffective. These data indicate that P is capable of rapidly facilitating receptivity by actions on cell membranes in the VTA if P has been applied to the hypothalamus 2 h earlier. Progesterone conjugated to BSA at carbon 11 (P-11-BSA) was ineffective compared to P-3-BSA using the same paradigm. This suggests that the mechanism which responds to P in the ventral midbrain may require the 11 region.

A specific membrane binding protein for progesterone in rat brain: sex differences and induction by estrogen

Progesterone conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a probe to study sex differences and the effects of hormonal status on binding of progesterone to crude synaptosomal membrane preparations (P2) derived from the mediobasal hypothalamic-anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area or the corpus striatum. Binding of 125I-labeled BSA linked to progesterone at the 11 position of the steroid (P-11-BSA) was decreased by competition with unlabeled P-11-BSA or P-3-BSA (in which progesterone is bound to BSA at the 3 position). P-3-BSA displayed higher affinity than P-11-BSA. Hypothalamic and striatal preparations from adult females show high specific binding (60-80%) to the progesterone-BSA conjugate. Specific binding was reduced more than 80% 14 days after ovariectomy. Estrogen treatment (10 micrograms per rat for 4 days) of 14-day ovariectomized rats restored specific binding to levels equivalent to intact females. In contrast, adult males displayed drastically reduced or no specific binding in either tissue. No specific binding was detected after orchidectomy. Estrogen treatment of orchidectomized animals induced specific binding sites similar to those in intact females. Additionally, an affinity probe was developed by linking primary amines on the P-3-BSA conjugate to agarose activated aldehydes in an AminoLink column. A digitoxin-solubilized fraction from female rat P2 cerebellum preparations yielded a single major band after affinity purification with an estimated molecular mass of 40-50 kDa in an SDS/PAGE system after silver stain. These results show a reversible sex difference in the specific binding of progesterone to synaptosomal membrane sites in the central nervous system of male and female rats which is dependent on estrogen.

Neuronal cell cultures: a tool for investigations in developmental neurobiology

The aim of this review is to describe environmental requirements for survival of neuronal cells in culture, and secondly to survey the complex interplay between hormones, neurotrophic factors, transport- and extracellular matrix- proteins, which characterize the developmental program of differentiating neurons. An overall reconsideration of the literature in this vast field is above the limits of the present paper; since progress and refinement in the techniques of neuronal cell cultures have paralleled the advancement in Developmental Neurobiology, we will run instead through the main steps which form the conceptual framework of neuronal cell cultures.

Adrenalectomy does not change CRF secretion induced by interleukin-1 from rat perifused hypothalami

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a potent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (H-P-A) axis activator. The hypothalamus is considered one of the main sites of action of IL-1 on the H-P-A axis, inducing CRF secretion, which is modulated by glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids, which modulate CRF release by a negative feedback inhibition, have been postulated to exert a permissive action on the IL-1 effect on CRF secretion. Using a continuous perifusion system of rat hypothalami, the results of the present study indicate that at the same concentrations, IL-1 beta exerted a more potent effect than IL-1 alpha stimulating CRF secretion. The increase in hypothalamic CRF release induced by IL-1 was rapidly inhibited by both dexamethasone and corticosterone. However, adrenalectomy 2 or 8 days before did not modify CRF secretion induced by IL-1 from the in vitro perifused hypothalami. These data indicate that IL-1 does not seem to induce CRF secretion by interfering with an impeding action of glucocorticoids, although the cytokine effect is negatively modulated by corticosteroids.

Glucocorticoid receptors

Glucocorticoid hormones are secreted uniquely from the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex, with marked circadian variation in basal levels and acute elevation in response to stress. Glucocorticoid receptors are almost ubiquitously distributed, and mediate a wide range of tissue-specific responses; in addition to classical, [3H]dexamethasone-binding GR (Type II receptors) there is excellent evidence that Type I sites (MR) act as mineralocorticoid receptors in some tissues but high affinity glucocorticoid receptors in others. Particular issues to be addressed in the presentation include: (i) the extent to which glucocorticoid receptor occupancy is modulated by extracellular (plasma-binding enzymes) or intracellular (proto-oncogenes) factors; (ii) whether or not there are specific response elements for Type I and II receptors; (iii) putative physiological roles for Type I, high affinity glucocorticoid receptors; (iv) evidence for glucocorticoid receptors other than classical GR and "MR". In summary, glucocorticoid receptors appear to be a final common pathway mediating and/or modulating circadian rhythms and stress responses. Cell-and tissue-specificity of response to a whole-body signal is determined by local pre-receptor, receptor and genomic differences. On the basis of previous studies on glucocorticoid secretion, and recent information on glucocorticoid action, it would at last appear possible to begin to construct a coherent physiology for glucocorticoid hormones.

Regulation of flunitrazepam binding in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord by adrenalectomy and corticosteroids

Adrenal corticosteroids and adrenalectomy (ADX) have opposing effects on benzodiazepine binding sites in brain regions. These treatments were employed to study [3H]flunitrazepam (FLU) binding in regions punched out from the rat spinal cord. We found that binding was higher in dorsal horn than in ventral horn, and minimal in white matter. Clonazepam and RO 15-1788 largely displaced [3H]FLU binding, whereas RO 5-4864 was weakly active. Four days post-ADX, binding increased exclusively in the dorsal horn, and this effect was reversed by administration of corticosterone (CORT), but not dexamethasone (DEX) or aldosterone (ALDO) given over 4 days. When endogenous CORT was increased by administration of cold stress to adrenal-intact rats, reduced benzodiazepine (BDZ) binding was also observed in the dorsal horn. When added in vitro, only ALDO and not CORT or DEX, inhibited [3H]FLU binding. It is suggested that steroids with affinity for the type I corticosteroid receptor (CORT, ALDO) decrease [3H]FLU binding to a neural-type BDZ receptor in the dorsal horn. Reduction of the inhibitory BDZ system may be physiologically important, and can partly explain the enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission produced by corticosteroids at the level of the spinal cord.

Muscimol facilitates sexual receptivity in hamsters when infused into the ventral tegmentum

Progestogenic stimulation of both the ventral medial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) within the midbrain is critical for normal receptivity in female hamsters. However, few estrogen-induced progestin receptors have been found in the midbrain. In addition, recent evidence suggests that progestin's action in the VTA is mediated nongenomically at the membrane. The present experiment investigated the possible role of GABAA receptors in mediating the effects of progesterone in this brain region. Ovariectomized female hamsters were bilaterally implanted with chronic cannulae aimed toward the ventral mesencephalon. Five days after surgery, animals were injected with 10 micrograms estradiol benzoate SC. Forty hours later, the same animals were injected with either 25 or 100 micrograms progesterone and at hour 43.5, 50 ng muscimol was infused in 0.5 microliters. Control animals received 0.5 microliters vehicle, sterile saline, or no infusion. At hour 44, animals were tested for sexual receptivity by placing them in an observation arena with a sexually experienced male for 10 min, during which lordosis duration was recorded. The following week, the same regimen was given with the alternate dose of progesterone. Histology revealed that only those animals that were infused with muscimol into the VTA had total lordosis durations that were significantly longer than the controls. Implants that missed the ventral tegmental area were much less effective. These results indicate that GABA might play a facilitatory role in enhancing the efficacy of threshold doses of progesterone. Whether this interaction is due to a direct effect of progestins on the GABAA receptor complex awaits further study.

Repeated corticosterone administration sensitizes the locomotor response to amphetamine

Repeated exposures to stressful situations has been shown to increase individual reactivity to psychostimulants, although the biological factors involved in such stress-induced changes are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of corticosterone in the effects of stress on the response to psychostimulants. We found that repeated corticosterone administration (both 1.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally and 50 micrograms/ml in drinking water, once per day for 15 days) increased the locomotor response to amphetamine (1.15 mg/kg, i.p.). At the doses used in these experiments, corticosterone administration induced similar increases in plasma levels of the hormone to those induced by stress. These results suggest that corticosterone secretion may be one of the mechanisms by which repeated stress increases the behavioral responses to amphetamine. Since an enhanced reactivity to psychostimulants has been found to be an index of a propensity for drug self-administration and a model of certain psychopathological conditions, these findings point to a role for glucocorticoids in such abnormal states.