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

在该项目中，获得了以下结果。1)雌性大鼠在发情前期早晨损毁中缝背核，不引起排卵和LH峰。此外，5-HT 2A 2C受体激动剂可恢复中缝背核损伤的抑制作用。因此，中缝背核在排卵过程中起着重要的作用，它涉及5-HT 2A 2C受体系统。2)损毁中缝正中核而非中缝背核可抑制产后大鼠的舔取行为。中缝正中核腹侧水平切断也抑制母性行为。结果表明，中缝正中核和腹侧投射可能与大鼠母性行为的调控有关。3)含脯氨酸的肽在诱导中枢神经系统的脊柱前凸行为中起抑制作用，因为脯氨酸内肽酶抑制剂抑制了雌激素和孕激素引发的卵巢切除大鼠的脊柱前凸行为。4)阻断下丘脑的背侧输入可抑制戊巴比妥引起的排卵延迟，提示该输入控制雌性大鼠的排卵时间。在性别差异实验结果中，5）孕酮对雌激素引起的脊柱前凸的抑制作用在雄性和雌性大鼠中均能见到。6)下丘脑腹内侧核在调节雌性大鼠爬马行为中起抑制作用。7)在雄性大鼠中，外侧隔中间部分的神经元发挥前凸抑制作用，并将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.