PROLACTION EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR--SITES & MODES OF ACTION

催乳素（PRL）是一种垂体激素和假定的神经肽， 异常多样但却知之甚少的行为行为。 这项拟议中的研究将采用环鸽（Streptopelia risoria）作为 一个模型系统，以探索PRL作用于 中枢神经系统（CNS）和外周靶组织， 影响行为表达并确定激素在 大脑来促进这些由中枢介导的变化。环 鸽子非常适合这些研究，因为1）各种PRL诱导的 行为改变已被记录在这个物种，2）催乳素的行为 在中枢和外周部位， 变化，和3）PRL敏感的靶细胞的分布已被 在环鸽大脑中的精确映射拟议的研究将 跟进之前NIMH申办的表征研究， 实现五个具体目标：1）确定四个PRL敏感的作用 鸽子脑内促进PRL诱导的摄食行为的区域 和促性腺激素分泌的抑制（这反过来可能 行为后果）; 2）更准确地定义的性质 鸽子CNS内介导PRL和生长的受体群 通过试验观察哺乳动物引起的摄食和促性腺激素分泌变化 这些激素的作用可以被模仿或阻断的程度 针对纯化的PRL受体的抗体; 3）为了确定是否 PRL诱导的促性腺激素分泌变化是由于垂体改变 对促性腺激素释放激素（GNRH）或改变的GNRH敏感 4）确定PRL在促进亲代细胞分泌中的中枢神经系统作用位点 对年轻人的反应，这种中枢介导的特异性 作用，以及催乳素诱导的变化在非神经靶组织中的作用 5）确定是否脑室内 注射催乳素维持了交配分离的小鼠的持续孵育行为， 鸽子这些研究为今后审查 催乳素行为作用的神经化学基础及家鸽的作用 催乳素在促进功能上显著的行为变化， 物种总的来说，这些实验应该有助于阐明 行为和神经内分泌的生理机制 与临床高催乳素血症相关的病理学， 蛋白质降解行为的一般原理的表述 交互.

Prolactin (PRL) is a pituitary hormone and putative neuropeptide with an exceptionally diverse but poorly understood array of behavioral actions. The proposed research will employ the ring dove (Streptopelia risoria) as a model system to explore he physiological mechanisms by which PRL acts in the central nervous system (CNS) and n peripheral target tissues to influence behavioral expression and to determine where he hormone acts in the brain to promote those changes that are centrally mediated. The ring dove is well suited for these studies because 1) a variety of PRL-induced behavioral alterations have been documented in this species, 2) PRL acts at both central, and peripheral sites to evoke these various behavioral changes, and 3) the distribution of PRL-sensitive target cells has been precisely mapped in the ring dove brain. The proposed research would follow up on previous NIMH-sponsored characterization studies to accomplish five specific aims: 1) to define the role of four PRL-sensitive regions within the dove brain in promoting PRL-induced feeding behavior and suppression of gonadotropin secretion (which in turn could have behavioral consequences); 2) to more precisely define the nature of the receptor population(s) within the dove CNS which mediate PRL and growth hormone-induced changes in feeding and gonadotropin secretion by testing the degree to which these hormone actions can be mimicked or blocked by antibodies against purified PRL receptors; 3) To determine whether PRL-induced changes n gonadotropin secretion are due to altered pituitary sensitivity to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GNRH) or altered GNRH secretion; 4) to define the CNS sites of PRL action in promoting parental responsiveness towards young, the specificity of this centrally mediated action, and the role of PRL-induced changes in non-neural target tissues in promoting parental activity; 5) to determine if intracerebroventricular injections of PRL maintain ongoing incubation behavior in mate-separated doves. These studies are preparatory to a future examination of the neurochemical basis of PRL's behavioral action and the role of native dove PRL in promoting functionally significant behavioral changes in this species. Collectively, these experiments should help elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying the behavioral and neuroendocrine pathologies associated with clinical hyperprolactinemia and will aid in the formulation of general principles underlying protein hormone-behavior interactions.