RUI: Hormones Neurotransmitters and Behavior

血清素或5-羟色胺（5HT）是一种中枢神经递质。这种神经递质与多种生理和行为功能的控制有关，包括攻击、睡眠、肾脏调节、疼痛感知、激素分泌、体温调节、运动活动、食物摄入、心血管功能和生殖。例如，血清素可能通过与性腺类固醇的相互作用而影响女性的发情行为。事实上，雷纳博士已经证明，连续服用雌激素和黄体酮会减少大脑中几个区域的血清素周转，这些区域对生殖行为的表达很重要。他现在将通过确定卵巢效应对血清素功能的生理相关性来扩展这些发现。Renner博士将使用一种新的技术，体内微透析，来确定血清素神经传递的变化，这可能有助于调节生殖行为。利用这项技术，他将研究自由运动动物大脑中几个不同区域的雌激素和黄体酮、血清素释放和生殖行为之间的关系。这项工作将有助于确定神经网络中控制生殖行为的位点之间的功能联系。雷纳博士还将监测各种药理干预对不同卵巢激素机制动物的神经化学和行为影响。这些结果可能有助于解开一些隐藏在性腺类固醇激素诱导行为反应的神经化学事件整合背后的秘密。＊＊＊

9309451 Renner Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) is a central neurotransmitter. This neurotransmitter has been implicated in the control of an extremely diverse group of physiological and behavior functions including aggression, sleep, renal regulation, pain perception, hormone secretion, thermoregulation, motor activity, food intake, cardiovascular function and reproduction. For example, serotonin is shown to influence female estrous behavior possibly through its interaction with the gonadal steroids. Indeed, Dr. Renner has demonstrated that sequential administration of estrogen and progesterone reduce serotonin turnover in several brain regions known to be important for the expression of reproductive behavior. He will now extend these findings by determining the physiological relevance of ovarian effects on serotonergic functioning. Dr. Renner will use a novel technique, in vivo microdialysis, to pinpoint the alterations in serotonin neurotransmission that may contribute to the regulation of reproductive behavior. Using this technique, he will examine the relationship between estrogen and progesterone, serotonin release, and reproductive behavior in several different brain regions in freely moving animals. This work will help define the functional linkage between sites within the neural network controlling reproductive behavior. Dr. Renner will also monitor the neurochemical and behavioral effects of various pharmacological interventions in animals primed with different regimes of ovarian hormones. These results are likely to help unlock some of the secrets underlying the integration of the neurochemical events by which gonadal steroid hormones induce a behavioral response. ***