SGER: Hypothalamic Basis for Reproductive Suppression

这项用于探索性研究的小额赠款的目标是开发一种可靠和灵敏的推拉灌流技术，以检测自然诱导雌性Callitrichid猴子不孕的生理机制。这些灵长类动物中的许多物种都是高度濒危的。在它们专门的社会制度中，在野外和实验室中成群的从属雌性被保持不育。从属雌性的排卵受到抑制，而这些雌性仍然在一只占主导地位的雌性的存在下，帮助抚养它们的后代。阿博特博士已经证明，维持这些从属女性不孕状态的生理机制存在于大脑的下丘脑区域。他现在将开发一种复杂的技术程序来测量下丘脑中的神经递质和下丘脑激素。这一结果将有助于更好地理解社会环境如何利用特定的神经机制来调节女性的生育能力。这可以为繁殖技术的发展提供更好的基础，以加快这些圈养稀有猴子的繁殖，并改善重新引入计划的规划和管理，以及改善对剩余少量生活在南美洲野外的猴子的管理。

The goal of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research is to develop a reliable and sensitive push-pull perfusion technique to examine the physiological mechanisms of naturally-induced infertility in female Callitrichid Monkeys. Many species of these primates are highly endangered. In their specialized social system, subordinate females in groups in the wild and in the laboratory are kept infertile. Ovulation in subordinate females is suppressed while these females remain in the presence of a dominant female and help raise their offspring. Dr. Abbott has demonstrated that the physiological mechanism maintaining the infertile state of these subordinate females resides within the hypothalamic region of the brain. He will now develop a sophisticated technical procedure to measure neurotransmitters and hypothalamic hormones in the hypothalamus. The results will lead to a better understanding of how the social environment engages specific neural mechanisms to regulate female fertility. This could provide a better foundation for the development of reproductive techniques to accelerate the breeding of these rare monkeys in captivity and to improve the planning and management of re-introduction programs as well as improve the management of the remaining small number of monkeys living in the wilds of South American.