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Effects of tamoxifen on neuronal morphology, connectivity and biochemistry of hypothalamic ventromedial neurons: Impact on the modulators of sexual behavior. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 109:33-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Cruz Y, Lucio RA, Palacios JL. Neural and Endocrine Factors Contribute to the Comorbidity of Urinary and Sexual Dysfunctions. CURRENT SEXUAL HEALTH REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11930-017-0129-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Maia J, Almada M, Silva A, Correia-da-Silva G, Teixeira N, Sá SI, Fonseca BM. The endocannabinoid system expression in the female reproductive tract is modulated by estrogen. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 174:40-47. [PMID: 28743542 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in several physiological events that resulted in a growing interest in its modulation. Moreover, the uterine levels of anandamide (AEA), the major endocannabinoid, must be tightly regulated to create proper embryo implantation conditions. However, there are no evidences about the regulation of AEA in uterus by estrogen. Thus, the aim of this study is to elucidate whether estradiol benzoate (EB) and tamoxifen (TAM) administration to ovariectomized (OVX) rats can induce changes in the expression of cannabinoid receptors and AEA-metabolic enzymes in uterus by evaluating gene transcription and protein levels by qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the plasmatic and uterine levels of AEA and of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), the major cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) products, were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The immunohistochemistry showed that cannabinoid receptors, as well as AEA-metabolic enzymes are mainly located in the epithelial cells of both lumen and glands and, to a lesser extent, in the muscle cells. Moreover, EB administration to OVX rats significantly increased CB1, CB2, NAPE-PLD, FAAH and COX-2 expression and transcription. These effects were absent in TAM and TAM+EB treatments showing that this response is estrogen receptor dependent. Additionally, although uterine levels of AEA remained unchanged in EB or TAM treated animals, they showed a rise with EB treatment in plasma. The latter also produced a decrease in uterine PGE2 levels. In summary, these data collectively indicate that the expression of ECS components, as well as, the AEA and PGE2 levels in rat uterus is modulated by EB. Thus, estradiol may have a direct regulatory role in the modulation of ECS in female reproductive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Maia
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Almada
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - A Silva
- CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - G Correia-da-Silva
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - N Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - S I Sá
- CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - B M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Pfaus JG, Scardochio T, Parada M, Gerson C, Quintana GR, Coria-Avila GA. Do rats have orgasms? SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 6:31883. [PMID: 27799081 PMCID: PMC5087696 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.31883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although humans experience orgasms with a degree of statistical regularity, they remain among the most enigmatic of sexual responses; difficult to define and even more difficult to study empirically. The question of whether animals experience orgasms is hampered by similar lack of definition and the additional necessity of making inferences from behavioral responses. METHOD Here we define three behavioral criteria, based on dimensions of the subjective experience of human orgasms described by Mah and Binik, to infer orgasm-like responses (OLRs) in other species: 1) physiological criteria that include pelvic floor and anal muscle contractions that stimulate seminal emission and/or ejaculation in the male, or that stimulate uterine and cervical contractions in the female; 2) short-term behavioral changes that reflect immediate awareness of a pleasurable hedonic reward state during copulation; and 3) long-term behavioral changes that depend on the reward state induced by the OLR, including sexual satiety, the strengthening of patterns of sexual arousal and desire in subsequent copulations, and the generation of conditioned place and partner preferences for contextual and partner-related cues associated with the reward state. We then examine whether physiological and behavioral data from observations of male and female rats during copulation, and in sexually-conditioned place- and partner-preference paradigms, are consistent with these criteria. RESULTS Both male and female rats display behavioral patterns consistent with OLRs. CONCLUSIONS The ability to infer OLRs in rats offers new possibilities to study the phenomenon in neurobiological and molecular detail, and to provide both comparative and translational perspectives that would be useful for both basic and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada;
| | - Tina Scardochio
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mayte Parada
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Laboratory for the Biopsychosocial Study of Sexuality, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christine Gerson
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gonzalo R Quintana
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER, México
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Coria-Avila GA, Herrera-Covarrubias D, Ismail N, Pfaus JG. The role of orgasm in the development and shaping of partner preferences. SOCIOAFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 6:31815. [PMID: 27799080 PMCID: PMC5087697 DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.31815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of orgasm on the development and shaping of partner preferences may involve a catalysis of the neurochemical mechanisms of bonding. Therefore, understanding such process is relevant for neuroscience and psychology. METHODS A systematic review was carried out using the terms Orgasm, Sexual Reward, Partner Preference, Pair Bonding, Brain, Learning, Sex, Copulation. RESULTS In humans, concentrations of arousing neurotransmitters and potential bonding neurotransmitters increase during orgasm in the cerebrospinal fluid and the bloodstream. Similarly, studies in animals indicate that those neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, oxytocin, prolactin) and others (e.g. dopamine, opioids, serotonin) modulate the appetitive and consummatory phases of sexual behavior and reward. This suggests a link between the experience of orgasm/sexual reward and the neurochemical mechanisms of pair bonding. Orgasm/reward functions as an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Some areas in the nervous system function as UCS-detection centers, which become activated during orgasm. Partner-related cues function as conditioned stimuli (CS) and are processed in CS-detector centers. CONCLUSIONS Throughout the article, we discuss how UCS- and CS-detection centers must interact to facilitate memory consolidation and produce recognition and motivation during future social encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deissy Herrera-Covarrubias
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Nafissa Ismail
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
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Sá SI, Fonseca BM, Teixeira N, Madeira MD. Induction and subcellular redistribution of progesterone receptor A and B by tamoxifen in the hypothalamic ventromedial neurons of young adult female Wistar rats. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 420:1-10. [PMID: 26597778 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The ventrolateral division of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMNvl) is a brain center for estrogen-dependent triggering of female sexual behavior upon progesterone receptor (PR) activation. We examined the agonistic and antagonistic actions of tamoxifen in this nucleus by analyzing its effects on the total number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, PR mRNA and protein levels, and subcellular location of PRs in ovariectomized Wistar rats. The results show that tamoxifen has no agonistic action in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, but increases PR expression and labeling in the nucleus and cytoplasm of VMNvl neurons that constitutively express PRs. As an antagonist, tamoxifen partially inhibited the estradiol-dependent increase in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons and in PR mRNA and protein levels, without interfering with the subcellular location of the protein. We suggest that tamoxifen influence on PR expression in the VMNvl critically depends on the presence or absence of estradiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana I Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Bruno M Fonseca
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Natércia Teixeira
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, n° 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - M Dulce Madeira
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS, Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
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Numan M, Young LJ. Neural mechanisms of mother-infant bonding and pair bonding: Similarities, differences, and broader implications. Horm Behav 2016; 77:98-112. [PMID: 26062432 PMCID: PMC4671834 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Mother-infant bonding is a characteristic of virtually all mammals. The maternal neural system may have provided the scaffold upon which other types of social bonds in mammals have been built. For example, most mammals exhibit a polygamous mating system, but monogamy and pair bonding between mating partners occur in ~5% of mammalian species. In mammals, it is plausible that the neural mechanisms that promote mother-infant bonding have been modified by natural selection to establish the capacity to develop a selective bond with a mate during the evolution of monogamous mating strategies. Here we compare the details of the neural mechanisms that promote mother-infant bonding in rats and other mammals with those that underpin pair bond formation in the monogamous prairie vole. Although details remain to be resolved, remarkable similarities and a few differences between the mechanisms underlying these two types of bond formation are revealed. For example, amygdala and nucleus accumbens-ventral pallidum (NA-VP) circuits are involved in both types of bond formation, and dopamine and oxytocin actions within NA appear to promote the synaptic plasticity that allows either infant or mating partner stimuli to persistently activate NA-VP attraction circuits, leading to an enduring social attraction and bonding. Further, although the medial preoptic area is essential for maternal behavior, its role in pair bonding remains to be determined. Our review concludes by examining the broader implications of this comparative analysis, and evidence is provided that the maternal care system may have also provided the basic neural foundation for other types of strong social relationships, beyond pair bonding, in mammals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
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Martins S, Madeira M, Sá S. Effects of gonadal steroids and of estrogen receptor agonists on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha in the medial preoptic nucleus of female rats. Neuroscience 2015; 310:63-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Marson L, Giamberardino MA, Costantini R, Czakanski P, Wesselmann U. Animal Models for the Study of Female Sexual Dysfunction. Sex Med Rev 2015; 1:108-122. [PMID: 27784584 DOI: 10.1002/smrj.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Significant progress has been made in elucidating the physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of female sexual function through preclinical animal research. The continued development of animal models is vital for the understanding and treatment of the many diverse disorders that occur in women. AIM To provide an updated review of the experimental models evaluating female sexual function that may be useful for clinical translation. METHODS Review of English written, peer-reviewed literature, primarily from 2000 to 2012, that described studies on female sexual behavior related to motivation, arousal, physiological monitoring of genital function and urogenital pain. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Analysis of supporting evidence for the suitability of the animal model to provide measurable indices related to desire, arousal, reward, orgasm, and pelvic pain. RESULTS The development of female animal models has provided important insights in the peripheral and central processes regulating sexual function. Behavioral models of sexual desire, motivation, and reward are well developed. Central arousal and orgasmic responses are less well understood, compared with the physiological changes associated with genital arousal. Models of nociception are useful for replicating symptoms and identifying the neurobiological pathways involved. While in some cases translation to women correlates with the findings in animals, the requirement of circulating hormones for sexual receptivity in rodents and the multifactorial nature of women's sexual function requires better designed studies and careful analysis. The current models have studied sexual dysfunction or pelvic pain in isolation; combining these aspects would help to elucidate interactions of the pathophysiology of pain and sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Basic research in animals has been vital for understanding the anatomy, neurobiology, and physiological mechanisms underlying sexual function and urogenital pain. These models are important for understanding the etiology of female sexual function and for future development of pharmacological treatments for sexual dysfunctions with or without pain. Marson L, Giamberardino MA, Costantini R, Czakanski P, and Wesselmann U. Animal models for the study of female sexual dysfunction. Sex Med Rev 2013;1:108-122.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Marson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | | | | | - Peter Czakanski
- University of Alabama at Birmingham-Departments of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ursula Wesselmann
- University of Alabama at Birmingham-Departments of Anesthesiology and Neurology, Birmingham, AL, USA
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McCarthy CJ, Tomasella E, Malet M, Seroogy KB, Hökfelt T, Villar MJ, Gebhart GF, Brumovsky PR. Axotomy of tributaries of the pelvic and pudendal nerves induces changes in the neurochemistry of mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons and the spinal cord. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:1985-2004. [PMID: 25749859 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1019-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Using immunohistochemical techniques, we characterized changes in the expression of several neurochemical markers in lumbar 4-sacral 2 (L4-S2) dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron profiles (NPs) and the spinal cord of BALB/c mice after axotomy of the L6 and S1 spinal nerves, major tributaries of the pelvic (targeting pelvic visceral organs) and pudendal (targeting perineum and genitalia) nerves. Sham animals were included. Expression of cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor 3 (ATF3), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT) types 1 and -2 was analysed seven days after injury. L6-S1 axotomy induced dramatic de novo expression of ATF3 in many L6-S1 DRG NPs, and parallel significant downregulations in the percentage of CGRP-, TRPV1-, TH- and VGLUT2-immunoreactive (IR) DRG NPs, as compared to their expression in uninjured DRGs (contralateral L6-S1-AXO; sham mice); VGLUT1 expression remained unaltered. Sham L6-S1 DRGs only showed a small ipsilateral increase in ATF3-IR NPs (other markers were unchanged). L6-S1-AXO induced de novo expression of ATF3 in several lumbosacral spinal cord motoneurons and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons; in sham mice the effect was limited to a few motoneurons. Finally, a moderate decrease in CGRP- and TRPV1-like-immunoreactivities was observed in the ipsilateral superficial dorsal horn neuropil. In conclusion, injury of a mixed visceral/non-visceral nerve leads to considerable neurochemical alterations in DRGs matched, to some extent, in the spinal cord. Changes in these and potentially other nociception-related molecules could contribute to pain due to injury of nerves in the abdominopelvic cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly J McCarthy
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Av. Juan D. Perón 1500, Pilar, B1629AHJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eugenia Tomasella
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Av. Juan D. Perón 1500, Pilar, B1629AHJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Malet
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Av. Juan D. Perón 1500, Pilar, B1629AHJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kim B Seroogy
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcelo J Villar
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Av. Juan D. Perón 1500, Pilar, B1629AHJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G F Gebhart
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Pablo R Brumovsky
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Av. Juan D. Perón 1500, Pilar, B1629AHJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Sá SI, Fonseca BM, Teixeira N, Madeira MD. Estrogen receptors α and β have different roles in the induction and trafficking of progesterone receptors in hypothalamic ventromedial neurons. FEBS J 2015; 282:1126-36. [PMID: 25612677 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Progesterone receptor (PR) activation in the ventrolateral division of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMNvl) is essential for promoting female sexual behavior. Estrogen receptor (ER) α, in contrast to ERβ, has been implicated in the induction of PRs. The simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ, although not increasing the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons in the VMNvl, facilitates lordosis, which suggests that ERβ and/or the ERα-ERβ interaction might play a role in PR dynamics and/or PR expression by individual neurons. To address this question, we used western blot and immunohistochemical studies to determine the amounts and subcellular distributions of both PR isoforms in VMNvl neurons of ovariectomized rats injected with estradiol benzoate or with specific agonists of ERα and ERβ, alone or in association. The present data show that ERα activation does not change PR expression in individual neurons, but increases the number of PRs in the VMNvl, because it increases the number of neurons expressing PRs. Conversely, ERβ activation does not change the total number of PRs in the VMNvl, but increases the labeling intensity of the perikaryal cytoplasm, which suggests that it promotes the transport of PRs from neurites into cell bodies. In addition, the simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ increases the expression of PRs by individual neurons and, consequently, increases the total number of PRs in the VMNvl. Our findings reveal that individual and simultaneous activation of ERα and ERβ have different effects on the levels and subcellular location of PRs in VMNvl neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana I Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; Center of Experimental Morphology (CME), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
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13
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Christensen A, Dewing P, Micevych P. Immediate early gene activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein regulates estradiol-induced lordosis behavior in female rats. J Neurosci Res 2014; 93:67-74. [PMID: 25088303 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Sensory feedback is an important component of any behavior, with each instance influencing subsequent activity. Female sexual receptivity is mediated both by the steroid hormone milieu and interaction with the male. We tested the influence of repeated mating on the level of sexual receptivity in ovariectomized rats treated with estradiol benzoate (EB) once every fourth day to mimic the normal phasic changes of circulating estradiol. Females were divided into two groups: naïve, which were tested for lordosis behavior once, and experienced rats, which were tested for lordosis after each EB injection. To monitor the effect of mating, the number of neurons expressing the immediate early gene activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) were counted in the mediobasal hypothalamus. Females were unreceptive following the first EB treatment, but the mating induced Arc expression. In naïve rats, each subsequent EB injection increased the levels of sexual receptivity. This ramping was not observed in experienced rats, which achieved only a moderate level of sexual receptivity. However, experienced females treated with EB and progesterone were maximally receptive and did not have Arc expression. To test whether the expression of Arc attenuated lordosis, Arc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (asODN) were microinjected into experienced females' arcuate nuclei. Arc expression was attenuated, and the experienced EB-treated females achieved maximal sexual receptivity. These results demonstrate that Arc expression in the hypothalamus might influence future sexual receptivity and provides evidence of learning in the arcuate nucleus. The loss of Arc results in unrestrained sexual receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Christensen
- Department of Neurobiology and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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14
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Veening JG, de Jong TR, Waldinger MD, Korte SM, Olivier B. The role of oxytocin in male and female reproductive behavior. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:209-28. [PMID: 25088178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide with an impressive variety of physiological functions. Among them, the 'prosocial' effects have been discussed in several recent reviews, but the direct effects on male and female sexual behavior did receive much less attention so far. As our contribution to honor the lifelong interest of Berend Olivier in the control mechanisms of sexual behavior, we decided to explore the role of OT in the present review. In the successive sections, some physiological mechanisms and the 'pair-bonding' effects of OT will be discussed, followed by sections about desire, female appetitive and copulatory behavior, including lordosis and orgasm. At the male side, the effects on erection and ejaculation are reviewed, followed by a section about 'premature ejaculation' and a possible role of OT in its treatment. In addition to OT, serotonin receives some attention as one of the main mechanisms controlling the effects of OT. In the succeeding sections, the importance of OT for 'the fruits of labor' is discussed, as it plays an important role in both maternal and paternal behavior. Finally, we pay attention to an intriguing brain area, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMHvl), apparently functioning in both sexual and aggressive behavior, which are at first view completely opposite behavioral systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Veening
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - T R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - M D Waldinger
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - S M Korte
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B Olivier
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Leite C, Madeira MD, Sá SI. Effects of sex steroids and estrogen receptor agonists on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha in the principal division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of female rats. Brain Res 2014; 1582:99-106. [PMID: 25087654 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen actions on neurons of the principal division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpr) are essential for the regulation of female sexual behavior. However, little is known about the effects of estradiol and progesterone (P) on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression in this nucleus. To study this subject, we used stereological methods to estimate the total number of ERα-immunoreactive (ERα-ir) neurons in the BNSTpr of female rats at each stage of the estrous cycle and of ovariectomized rats after administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) and/or P. To ascertain the percentage of ERα-positive neurons in the BNSTpr, the total number of neurons in this nucleus was also estimated. In order to identify the specific role played by the selective activation of each ER in the expression of ERα, ovariectomized rats were injected with the ERα agonist, propyl-pyrazole triol (PPT), or the ERβ agonist, diaryl-propionitrile (DPN). Data show that ERα is expressed in 40-60% of the BNSTpr neurons and that the number of ERα-ir neurons is lowest at proestrus. This value is paralleled by the administration of EB. The number of ERα-ir neurons was not modified by P. PPT induced no changes in the number of ERα-ir neurons. Contrariwise, DPN induced a decrease in the total number of ERα-ir neurons to values similar to those of EB-treated rats. These results show that P has no effect in the modulation of ERα expression and demonstrate that estradiol regulation of ERα in BNSTpr neurons is mediated by activation of ERβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Leite
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Dulce Madeira
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Isabel Sá
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto. Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.
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16
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Neural mechanisms of female sexual behavior in the rat; comparison with male ejaculatory control. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 121:16-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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17
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Georgescu M, Afonso VM, Graham MD, Pfaus JG. Glutamate release in the ventromedial hypothalamus of the female rat during copulation: modulation by estradiol. Horm Behav 2014; 65:119-26. [PMID: 24333845 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Binding of glutamate or its ionotropic receptor agonists in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of female rats inhibits both appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior. Because vaginocervical stimulation activates glutamate neurons in the VMH, and administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) delays this effect, the present study examined the effects of hormonal priming on glutamate release within the VMH of female rats paired with sexually vigorous males. Ovariectomized, sexually experienced rats were implanted with guide cannula aimed at the ventrolateral VMH, through which microdialysis probes were inserted prior to testing. Females were assigned randomly to one of three hormone treatment conditions: EB+P, EB alone, or the oil vehicle. Testing was conducted over 5h, including a 120-min period of habituation to the testing chamber, a 60-min period of baseline sample collection, and a 120-min period during which a sexually vigorous male was introduced into the testing chamber. Dialysates were collected every 20min during the test and were analyzed for glutamate using HPLC. Females primed with oil had large and significant increases in glutamate release from baseline once the male was introduced to the chamber. Treatment with EB alone decreased glutamate release in response to male cues. Although treatment with EB+P did not differ significantly from EB alone, the degree of reduced glutamate release was less than with EB alone. These results indicate that priming with EB reduces glutamate transmission in the VMH in response to male cues. Taken together with our previous findings, estradiol blunts the activation of glutamate neurons in the VMH thus allowing female rats to copulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Georgescu
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - V M Afonso
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - M D Graham
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - J G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.
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18
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Clitoral anesthesia disrupts paced copulation in the female rat. Physiol Behav 2014; 123:180-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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19
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Micevych P, Sinchak K. Temporal and concentration-dependent effects of oestradiol on neural pathways mediating sexual receptivity. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1012-23. [PMID: 24028299 PMCID: PMC3943611 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The acceptance of oestradiol signalling through receptors found in the cell membrane, as well as, the nucleus, has provided for a re-examination of the timing and location of the actions of oestradiol on neural circuits mediating sexual receptivity (lordosis). Oestradiol membrane signalling involves the transactivation of metabotrophic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) that transduce steroid information through protein kinase C signalling cascades producing rapid activation of lordosis-regulating circuits. It has been known for some time that oestradiol initially produces an inhibition of the medial preoptic nucleus. We have demonstrated that underlying this inhibition is oestradiol acting in the arcuate nucleus to induce β-endorphin release, which inhibits the medial preoptic nucleus through a μ-opioid receptor mechanism. This transient inhibition is relieved by either subsequent progesterone treatment or longer exposure to higher doses of oestradiol to facilitate lordosis behaviour. We review recent findings about oestradiol membrane signalling inducing dendritic spine formation in the arcuate nucleus that is critical for oestradiol induction of sexual receptivity. Moreover, we discuss the evidence that, in addition to oestrogen receptor α, several other putative membrane oestrogen receptors facilitate lordosis behaviour through regulation of the arcuate nucleus. These include the GRP30 and the STX activated Gq-mER. Finally, we report on the importance of GABA acting at GABAB receptors for oestradiol membrane signalling that regulates lordosis circuit activation and sexual receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Kevin Sinchak
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840
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20
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Sá S, Pereira P, Malikov V, Madeira M. Role of estrogen receptor α and β in the induction of progesterone receptors in hypothalamic ventromedial neurons. Neuroscience 2013; 238:159-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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21
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Tovar A, Lara-Garcia M, Cruz Y, Pacheco P. Dorsal root activity evoked by stimulation of vagina–cervix–uterus junction in the rat. Brain Res 2013; 1496:49-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 12/16/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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22
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Parada M, Vargas EB, Kyres M, Burnside K, Pfaus JG. The role of ovarian hormones in sexual reward states of the female rat. Horm Behav 2012; 62:442-7. [PMID: 22902894 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Revised: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
To what extent does the reward value of sexual stimulation in females depend on ovarian hormones? The effects of estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) were examined on the acquisition and expression of sexual reward induced by paced copulation and clitoral stimulation (CLS) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. In experiment 1 we examined the expression of a pacing-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Ovariectomized, hormone-primed rats were given experience with paced copulation associated with one side of a CPP apparatus. Changing hormonal status prior to the final CPP test did not alter pacing-induced CPP. However, subsequent partial extinction of CPP was observed only in rats primed with EB+P, a treatment previously shown to induce sexual desire and receptivity. In Experiment 2, significant CLS-induced CPP developed in ovariectomized rats regardless of hormone priming. Our results show that the expression of the sexual reward state induced by paced copulation, and CLS in particular, is independent of hormone priming. We propose that ovarian hormones sensitize sensory and motor pathways necessary for sexual behavior and stimulation to induce reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayte Parada
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke W., Montréal, QC Canada.
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23
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Georgescu M, Cyr D, Pfaus JG. AMPA/kainate receptors in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediate the effects of glutamate on estrus termination in the rat. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 102:146-50. [PMID: 22525745 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Revised: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Infusions of glutamate or its selective receptor agonists to the VMH of ovariectomized (OVX) female rats primed with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) inhibit both appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior whereas selective glutamate receptor antagonists facilitate these measures in females primed with EB alone. Because vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) activates glutamate neurons in the VMH, and induces a faster termination of estros behavior, the present study examined the effects of the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist DNQX on the induction of estrus termination by manual VCS. Ovx, sexually-experienced rats were primed with EB and P and subsequently received either 1 or 50 distributed VCSs, over the course of an hour, 12 h before a test with sexually vigorous males. Half of the females in each stimulus group received bilateral infusions of 1 μl/side of either DNQX (19.8 mmol/μl) or saline aimed at the VMH immediately prior to VCS or sham stimulation. Saline-infused females given VCS had lower lordosis quotients compared to females given sham stimulation. In contrast, females infused with DNQX prior to VCS displayed more appetitive behaviors and higher lordosis quotients and magnitudes compared to females infused with saline. These data indicate that activation of AMPA/kainate receptors in the VMH by increased glutamate transmission induced by VCS mediates estrus termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Georgescu
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
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24
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Normandin JJ, Murphy AZ. Somatic genital reflexes in rats with a nod to humans: anatomy, physiology, and the role of the social neuropeptides. Horm Behav 2011; 59:656-65. [PMID: 21338605 PMCID: PMC3105176 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2011] [Revised: 02/03/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Somatic genital reflexes such as ejaculation and vaginocervical contractions are produced through the striated muscles associated with the genitalia. The coordination of these reflexes is surprisingly complex and involves a number of lumbosacral spinal and supraspinal systems. The rat model has been proven to be an excellent source of information regarding these mechanisms, and many parallels to research in humans can be drawn. An understanding of the spinal systems involving the lumbosacral spinal cord, both efferent and afferent, has been generated through decades of research. Spinal and supraspinal mechanisms of descending excitation, through a spinal ejaculation generator in the lumbar spinal cord and thalamus, and descending inhibition, through the ventrolateral medulla, have been identified and characterized both anatomically and physiologically. In addition, delineation of the neural circuits whereby ascending genitosensory information regarding the regulation of somatic genital reflexes is relayed supraspinally has also been the topic of recent investigation. Lastly, the importance of the "social neuropeptides" oxytocin and vasopressin in the regulation of somatic genital reflexes, and associated sociosexual behaviors, is emerging. This work not only has implications for understanding how nervous systems generate sexual behavior but also provides treatment targets for sexual dysfunction in people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Normandin
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-5010
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-5010
| | - Anne Z. Murphy
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-5010
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-5010
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25
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Parada M, Abdul-Ahad F, Censi S, Sparks L, Pfaus JG. Context alters the ability of clitoral stimulation to induce a sexually-conditioned partner preference in the rat. Horm Behav 2011; 59:520-7. [PMID: 21310156 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Revised: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We have shown previously that clitoral stimulation (CLS) of female rats induces significant conditioned place preference (CPP), indicating that it is rewarding. The present study asked whether CLS could induce a conditioned partner preference. In the first experiment, sexually naïve females received 10 alternating trials of CLS and No-CLS in the presence of a male rat behind a wire-mesh screen. For one group, CLS was made in the presence of the male scented with almond extract. On alternating trials, those females received sham CLS in the presence of an unscented male behind the screen. The order was reversed for the other group. After 5 trials in each condition, females were placed into an open field with two sexually vigorous males, one scented and the other unscented. Contrary to expectation, females displayed a preference for the male associated with sham CLS. The second experiment examined whether a partner preference could be conditioned by associating CLS with the almond odor alone. A new group of sexually naive females received the same CLS-odor, No-CLS-No Odor pairings as above, but with the odor presented on cotton gauze in the chamber. During the final open field test, those females selectively solicited the scented male. We conclude that CLS that induces CPP also induces conditioned partner preference. However, we propose that CLS in the presence of an inaccessible male created a sexual inhibitory state for female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayte Parada
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke W., Montréal, QC H4B1R6, Canada.
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26
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Paredes-Ramos P, Pfaus JG, Miquel M, Manzo J, Coria-Avila GA. Sexual reward induces Fos in the cerebellum of female rats. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:143-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2010] [Revised: 10/31/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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27
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Kirkpatrick M, Merrill L. Effect of systemic blockade of α1-noradrenergic receptors on sex behavior and vaginal–cervical stimulation-induced Fos in female rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 97:486-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2010] [Revised: 09/21/2010] [Accepted: 09/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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Northrop LE, Polston EK, Erskine MS. Noradrenergic nuclei that receive sensory input during mating and project to the ventromedial hypothalamus play a role in mating-induced pseudopregnancy in the female rat. J Neuroendocrinol 2010; 22:1061-71. [PMID: 20673300 PMCID: PMC3063002 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.02049.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In female rats, vaginal-cervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating induces bicircadian prolactin surges that are required for the maintenance of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP). The neural circuits that transmit VCS inputs to the brain have not been fully described, although mating stimulation is known to activate medullary noradrenergic cell groups that project to the forebrain. In response to VCS, these neurones release noradrenaline within the ventrolateral division of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) and the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD), two forebrain sites that are implicated in the initiation of PSP. Noradrenaline receptor activation within the VMHvl is both necessary and sufficient for PSP induction, suggesting that noradrenaline acting within the VMHvl is particularly important in mediating the effects of VCS towards the establishment of PSP. We therefore investigated whether or not endogenous, VCS-induced noradrenaline release within the VMHvl is involved in PSP induction in the rat. Before the receipt of sufficient mating stimulation to induce PSP, a retrograde neurotoxin, dopamine-β-hydroxylase-saporin (DBH-SAP), was infused bilaterally into the either the VMHvl or the MePD to selectively destroy afferent noradrenergic nuclei in the brainstem. DBH-SAP infusions into the VMHvl lesioned mating-responsive noradrenergic neurones in A1 and A2 medullary nuclei and reduced the incidence of PSP by 50%. Infusions of DBH-SAP into the MePD had no effect on the subsequent induction of PSP. These results suggest that VCS is conveyed to mating-responsive forebrain areas by brainstem noradrenergic neurones, and that the activity of noradrenergic cells projecting to the VMHvl is involved in the induction of PSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Northrop
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Morristown, NJ, USA
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29
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30
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Cibrian-Llanderal T, Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran M, Triana-Del Rio R, Pfaus JG, Manzo J, Coria-Avila GA. Clitoral stimulation modulates appetitive sexual behavior and facilitates reproduction in rats. Physiol Behav 2010; 100:148-53. [PMID: 20188117 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2009] [Revised: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 02/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In rats, sexual reward, appetitive sexual behaviors and reproduction are modulated by the amount and rate of vaginocervical stimulation. Here the effect of clitoral stimulation (CLS) on proceptivity was assessed. In Exp 1, ovariectomized, hormone-primed Wistar females formed three groups: G1 (1 CLS every second), G2 (1 CLS every 5s) and G3 (no CLS). Precopulatory CLS consisted of 5cycles of 1min of stimulation with the tip of a cotton swab connected to a vibrator device, followed by 1-2min of rest. CLS increased proceptive behavior in G1 compared to G2, but not compared to G3. In Exp 2, gonadally-intact rats in late proestrous received CLS prior to copulation. No differences in sexual behavior were detected between the groups, but CLS enhanced reproduction in females that received >9 intromissions. 28, 66 and 10% of females became pregnant in G1, G2, and G3, respectively. These data indicate that precopulatory CLS affects proceptive behaviors depending on the pattern and rhythm of stimulation in hormone-primed females. In virgin rats that have received sufficient vagino cervical stimulation CLS also increases fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Cibrian-Llanderal
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n, Colonia Industrial Las Animas C.P. 91190, Xalapa Ver, Mexico
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31
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Georgescu M, Sabongui C, Del Corpo A, Marsan L, Pfaus JG. Vaginocervical stimulation induces Fos in glutamate neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus: attenuation by estrogen and progesterone. Horm Behav 2009; 56:450-6. [PMID: 19665463 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2009] [Revised: 07/30/2009] [Accepted: 07/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) induces the immediate-early gene product Fos in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of female rats. However, this induction is lower in ovariectomized rats that receive estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) relative to an oil vehicle. We have observed that a substantial proportion of cells activated in the VMH by VCS stain for glutamate, and infusions of glutamate or its selective receptor agonists to the VMH inhibit both appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors in females. This raises the possibility that VCS activates an inhibitory glutamate system in the VMH, and that ovarian steroids blunt the activation, although it is not known whether EB or P, alone or in combination, lead to this effect. The present experiment examined the ability of VCS to induce Fos in glutamate neurons in the VMH of ovariectomized rats under 4 hormonal regimens: oil, EB alone, P alone, or EB+P, following 1 or 50 distributed VCSs administered with a lubricated glass rod over the course of 1 h. Treatment with EB or P alone significantly reduced the number of glutamate neurons activated by 1 VCS, with P being more effective than EB. Treatment with EB+P also produced a significant reduction, but not to the extent of EB or P alone. Although EB and P work in synergy to activate sexual behavior in female rats, actions of EB or P alone are sufficient to blunt the ability of VCS to activate glutamate neurons in the VMH. It thus appears that ovarian steroids may "disinhibit" sexual responding, in part, by dampening the ability of VCS to activate glutamate neurons in the VMH. In turn, this may allow females to receive a sufficient number of intromissions for the activation of sexual reward and the facilitation of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Georgescu
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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32
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Meerts SH, Clark AS. Conditioned place preference for mating is preserved in rats with pelvic nerve transection. Behav Neurosci 2009; 123:539-46. [PMID: 19485560 DOI: 10.1037/a0015267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Female rats exhibit a conditioned place preference (CPP) for a context paired with mating. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that the activation of the pelvic nerve mediates the reinforcing effects of mating for female rats. Rats underwent bilateral pelvic nerve or sham transection and then received paced mating, nonpaced mating, or the control treatment during a CPP procedure. Pelvic nerve transection did not affect the CPP for paced or nonpaced mating. In tests of paced mating behavior, contact-return latencies following intromissions were significantly shorter in rats with pelvic nerve transection than they were in rats with sham transections. These results show that the pathway conveying the reinforcing effects of mating stimulation does not depend on the integrity of the pelvic nerve, but that activation of the pelvic nerve contributes to the display of paced mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Meerts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Meerts SH, Clark AS. Artificial vaginocervical stimulation induces a conditioned place preference in female rats. Horm Behav 2009; 55:128-32. [PMID: 18848563 PMCID: PMC2666285 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2008] [Revised: 09/10/2008] [Accepted: 09/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Female rats express a conditioned place preference (CPP) for a context paired with mating. During a mating encounter, the female rat is exposed to several different types of stimuli, including, but not limited to, vaginocervical stimulation and social contact. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that two components of the mating interaction, vaginocervical stimulation or social contact, each induce a CPP in female rats. During conditioning rats received nonpaced mating, artificial vaginocervical stimulation, social interaction or a control treatment. Rats expressed a CPP for the context paired with nonpaced mating or artificial vaginocervical stimulation whereas social interaction and the control treatment did not induce a CPP. The present findings highlight the important role that vaginocervical stimulation plays in the reinforcing effects of mating in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ann S. Clark
- Corresponding author. Fax: +1 603 646 1419, E-mail address: (A.S. Clark)
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34
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Coria-Avila GA, Pfaus JG. Neuronal activation by stimuli that predict sexual reward in female rats. Neuroscience 2007; 148:623-32. [PMID: 17693029 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.05.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2007] [Revised: 05/17/2007] [Accepted: 06/06/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Conditioned stimuli (CSs) associated with paced copulation induce a conditioned partner preference for males bearing the CS. Here we examined the activation of Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) following exposure to a CS previously paired with either paced or nonpaced copulation. Ovariectomized, hormone-primed rats received 10 sequential conditioning trials at 4-day intervals. In experiment 1, females in the odor-paired group learned to associate an almond odor on a male with paced copulation and an unscented male with nonpaced copulation. In the odor-unpaired group, females received the opposite association. In experiment 2, females associated two different strains of male, Long-Evans or Wistar, with paced or nonpaced copulation, respectively. A preference test indicated that females in both experiments developed a conditioned preference for the pacing-related males, as indicated by significantly more solicitations toward the male and a preference to copulate with the pacing-related male. Subsequently, females were exposed to the CS (odor or strain) alone for 1 h prior to kill and preparation of their brains for immunocytochemistry. In both experiments, the CS associated with paced copulation produced significantly more Fos-IR in the piriform cortex, medial preoptic area, and ventral tegmental area, relative to the same odor or strain cues associated with nonpaced copulation. These findings provide evidence that the state associated with paced copulation can be conditioned to environmental stimuli such as neutral odors or strain cues, which earn an incentive value via classical conditioning. The significance of the brain areas activated is discussed with regard to their role in sexual and other motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Coria-Avila
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke W., Montréal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
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