CHARACTERIZATION OF HORMONE-CONCENTRATING NEURONS

该提案将重点关注雌激素受体（ER）的作用， 孕激素受体（PR）神经元在母源性 行为和伴随的神经内分泌事件 反应灵敏的雌鼠 具体目标I-怀孕会改变大脑的 视前区雌激素受体和孕激素受体的诱导对类固醇激素的敏感性 (POA)和边缘系统这些改变是在转录或 翻译水平？我们将测试是否数量和分布的 POA和含有ER和PR的边缘系统神经元在妊娠期间发生改变 以及每个神经元的受体蛋白或mRNA的量是否改变。 ER和PR抗体或原位免疫细胞化学（ICC） 将用ER和PR mRNA探针杂交（或北方印迹）， 采用 具体目标II-是大脑对雌激素的敏感性， 多巴胺通过特殊的神经回路传递， 产妇反应的具体组成部分？做独特的传出 ER和PR神经元的投射是不同成分的基础。 母体反应，包括对化学感觉输入的反应性改变， 与筑巢和取巢有关的运动成分， 包括蹲伏、舔和催产素释放 这些实验将结合联合收割机逆行神经解剖追踪与 ICC检测ER和PR。将病变的特定人群 投射到不同功能区域的ER和PR POA神经元改变 母体反应的具体组成部分神经毒素将被用于 视前神经元的病变特异性亚群，将通过其 独特的传出投射和/或妊娠改变的 受体;将测试行为障碍。 具体目标III- ER 和PR在神经元群体中对母体反应性很重要 可以由一些重要的生理事件引起， 发生在怀孕的自然过程中。 这些实验将 测试POA的传入输入是否改变ER和PR的诱导 在怀孕期间的POA 河豚毒素或神经递质 拮抗剂将用于暂时消除传入输入这些 神经元;进行化学感觉输入的损伤。 免疫反应 检测受体蛋白或mRNA含量和行为结果。

This proposal will focus on the role of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) containing neurons in the onset of maternal behavior and the attendent neuroendocrine events in the maternally responsive female rat. Specific Aim I- Does pregnancy alter the brain's sensitivity to steroids by induction of ER and PR in the preoptic area (POA) and limbic system? Are these alterations at the transcriptional or translational level? We will test whether the number and distribution of POA and limbic neurons that contain ER and PR is altered during pregnancy and if the amount of receptor protein or mRNA per neuron is altered. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) with ER and PR antibodies or in situ hybridization (or Northern blot) with probes to ER and PR mRNA will be used. Specific Aim II- Is the brain's sensitivity to estrogen and progestin channeled through particular neural circuits that underlie specific components of maternal responsiveness? Do unique efferent projections of ER and PR neurons underlie the different components of the maternal response including altered responsivity to chemosensory inputs, the motor components related to nest building and retrieval, and events related to nursing including crouching, licking and oxytocin release? These experiments will combine retrograde neuroanatomical tracing with ICC detection of ER and PR. Will lesions of the specific populations of ER and PR POA neurons that project to different functional regions alter specific components of the maternal response? Neurotoxins will be used to lesion specific subsets of preoptic neurons that will be defined by their unique efferent projections and/or pregnancy altered concentration of receptors ; behavioral impairment will be tested. Specific Aim III- ER and PR in neuronal populations important for maternal responsiveness could be induced by a number of the important physiological events that occur during the natural course of pregnancy. These experiments will test whether the afferent input to POA alters the induction of ER and PR in the POA during pregnancy. Tetrodotoxin or neurotransmitter antagonists will be used to transiently eliminate afferent input to these neurons; lesion of the chemosensory input carried out. Immunoreactive receptor protein or mRNA content and behavioral results will be examined.