Brain-spinal cord neural circuits controlling androgen-dependent mood disorder and male sexual function

我们最近报道了一个以前未知的位于腰骶髓的肽能系统，它使用胃泌素释放肽(GRP)来触发雄性大鼠的勃起和射精。男性特有的神经系统调节性功能的识别为男性生殖功能障碍的潜在治疗方法提供了新的途径。此外，这项研究表明，脊髓GRP系统似乎是男性生殖功能的应激敏感中心，这可能为男性应激相关勃起功能障碍的治疗提供新的临床靶点。需要在分子和行为水平上进行更多的研究，以探索性二态脑-脊髓神经回路和相关临床疾病的潜在决定因素。

We recently reported a previously unknown peptidergic system within the lumbosacral spinal cord that uses gastrin-releasing peptide(GRP) to trigger erection and ejaculation in male rats. The identification of a male-specific neural system regulating sexual functions offers new avenues for potential therapeutic approaches to male reproductive dysfunction. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the spinal GRP system appears to be a stress-vulnerable centre for male reproductive functions, which may provide new insight into a clinical target for the treatment of stress-related erectile dysfunction in men. More studies are needed at the molecular and behavioral levels to investigate the potential determinants of sexually dimorphic brain-spinal cord neural circuits and related clinical disorders in humans.