The role of serotonergic neurons in regulating reproduction and it's sexual differentiation

在本项目中，取得了以下成果。1)雌性大鼠在发情前一天早晨毁损中缝背核，不会排卵，也不会出现黄体生成素高峰。此外，5-HT2A2C受体激动剂可恢复中缝背核损伤的抑制作用。因此，中缝背核在排卵中起着重要作用，它涉及5-HT2A2C受体系统。2)破坏中缝正中核，而不是破坏中缝背核，可抑制产后大鼠的取食和舔食行为。中缝正中核腹侧水平切断也抑制了母体行为。根据这些结果，中缝正中核和腹侧投射被认为与大鼠母体行为的调节有关。3)在雌激素和黄体酮诱导的去卵巢大鼠中，含有Pro的多肽对中枢神经系统的前凸行为具有抑制作用，这是因为Pro内切酶抑制剂抑制了大鼠的前凸行为。4)阻断下丘脑的背侧传入抑制戊巴比妥钠延迟的排卵，提示这种传入控制着雌性大鼠的排卵时间。在性别差异实验结果中，5)孕酮对雌激素诱导的雌性大鼠前凸的抑制作用。6)下丘脑腹内侧核对雌性大鼠的坐骑行为具有抑制作用。7)雄性大鼠外侧隔中间部的神经元对前凸有抑制作用，轴突直接投射到中脑中央灰质。

In this project, following results were obtained. 1) Destruction of the dorsal raphe nucleus on the morning of proestrous day in female rats causes no ovulation and no LH surge. In addition, 5-HT 2A2C receptor agonist recovers the inhibitory effect of the lesions in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Thus, the dorsal raphe nucleus plays an important role on ovulation and it involves the 5-HT2A2C receptor system. 2) The destruction of the median raphe nucleus, but not the dorsal raphe nucleus inhibits retrieving and licking behavior in postpartum rats. The ventral horizontal cut of the median raphe nucleus also suppressed the maternal behavior. From these results, the median raphe nucleus and the ventral projections are thought to be concerned with regulation of maternal behavior in rats. 3) Proline-containing peptides play an inhibitory role in induction of lordosis behavior in the central nervous system, because prolylendopeptitase inhibitor suppressed lordosis behavior in estrogen and progesterone primed ovariectomized rats. 4) Interruption of the dorsal inputs to the hypothalamus inhibits ovulation delayed by pentobarbital suggesting this inputs control timing of ovulation in female rats.In the results of experiments for sex difference, 5) the inhibitory effect of progesterone on lordosis-inducing by estrogen is seen in male as female rats. 6) The ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus plays an inhibitory role in regulating mounting behavior in female rats. 7) In male rats, the neurons in the intermediate part of the lateral septum exert lordosis-inhibiting influence and project the axons directly to the midbrain central gray.