Distribution of gonadal steroid receptor-containing neurons in the preoptic-periaqueductal gray-brainstem pathway: a potential circuit for the initiation of male sexual behavior.
Distribution of gonadal steroid receptor-containing neurons in the preoptic-periaqueductal gray-brainstem pathway: a potential circuit for the initiation of male sexual behavior.
复制标题
视前导水管周围灰质脑干通路中含有性腺类固醇受体的神经元的分布：男性性行为启动的潜在回路。
DOI：
10.1002/cne.1309
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发表时间：
2001
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Hoffman,GE
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Murphy,AZ;Hoffman,GE
本研究采用顺行和逆行追踪技术研究了雄性大鼠内侧视前-导水管周围灰质-旁巨细胞核通路的组织结构。还观察了含雌激素（α亚型; ERα）和雄激素受体（AR）的神经元的位置。我们在这里报告，顺行示踪剂生物素化葡聚糖胺（BDA）注射到内侧视前区（MPO）内的导水管周围灰质（PAG）产生密集的标记;顺行标记的纤维终止于近并列的神经元逆行标记的旁巨细胞核（nPGi）。Fluoro-Gold（FG）和ERα或FG和AR的双重免疫染色显示，超过三分之一的MPO输出到PAG含有雌激素或雄激素受体。此外，约50%的PAG神经元逆行标记nPGi的ERα或AR的免疫反应。这些结果首次建立了MPO→PAG→nPGi回路，并进一步表明性腺类固醇可以影响这些部位内的神经元突触活动。我们以前报道过，nPGi网状脊髓神经元优先终止于支配盆腔脏器的腰骶脊髓运动神经元池内。总之，我们认为MPO→PAG→nPGi回路形成了最终的共同通路，从而MPO神经输出导致雄性交配反射的启动和维持。神经学比较杂志438：191-212，2001.© 2001 Wiley利斯公司
The present study used anterograde and retrograde tract tracing techniques to examine the organization of the medial preoptic—periaqueductal gray—nucleus paragigantocellularis pathway in the male rat. The location of neurons containing estrogen (alpha subtype; ERα) and androgen receptors (AR) were also examined. We report here that injection of the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the medial preoptic (MPO) produced dense labeling within the periaqueductal gray (PAG); anterogradely labeled fibers terminated in close juxtaposition to neurons retrogradely labeled from the nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGi). Dual immunostaining for Fluoro‐Gold (FG) and ERα or FG and AR showed that over one‐third of MPO efferents to the PAG contain receptors for either estrogen or androgen. In addition, approximately 50% of PAG neurons retrogradely labeled from the nPGi were immunoreactive for either ERα or AR. These results are the first to establish an MPO→PAG→nPGi circuit and further indicate that gonadal steroids can influence neuronal synaptic activity within these sites. We reported previously that nPGi reticulospinal neurons terminate preferentially within the motoneuronal pools of the lumbosacral spinal cord that innervate the pelvic viscera. Together, we propose that the MPO→PAG→nPGi circuit forms the final common pathway whereby MPO neural output results in the initiation and maintenance of male copulatory reflexes. J. Comp. Neurol. 438:191–212, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.