BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT PRENATAL HORMONAL INFLUENCES

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 早期的激素环境被认为会影响男性/女性行为和神经内分泌差异的发展。 本研究将发育中的雄性和雌性恒河猴暴露于非典型的产前激素环境中，并一直在研究它们的行为和神经内分泌发育。 治疗设计为模拟产前意外暴露于雄激素或雄激素抑制。 本研究探讨是否产前雄激素暴露，社会地位，体重是调节雌性恒河猴青春期发育的因素。 受试者的母亲在妊娠第35/40-70天（早期）或第105/110-140天（晚期）接受庚酸睾酮（20 mg/周）、氟替卡松（一种雄激素受体阻断剂，30 mg/kg，每日两次）或溶媒注射。 我们调查是否减少内源性T产前影响成年雄性恒河猴交配行为。 在妊娠早期使用氟替卡松治疗导致雄性动物的男性化生殖器显著减少，而对照组雄性动物或雄性动物在妊娠晚期出现氟替卡松。 在本年度，对所有产前给药的雄性和雌性沿着以及同期对照进行MRI扫描，以寻找脑解剖结构的性别差异。 与国家老龄化研究所的研究人员合作，对男性和女性的对照MRI扫描进行了结构性性别差异的评估。 然后将产前治疗的动物与对照雄性和雌性的常见变形大脑进行比较，以确定产前治疗改变了大脑结构的位置。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The early hormone environment has been thought to influence the development of male/female behavioral and neuroendocrine differences through the life span. This study exposed developing male and female rhesus monkeys to atypical prenatal hormonal environments and has been investigating their behavioral and neuroendocrine development. Treatments were designed to mimic accidental exposure to or suppression of androgens prenatally. This study investigated whether prenatal androgen exposure, social rank, and body weight are factors regulating pubertal development in female rhesus monkeys. Subjects' mothers received injections of testosterone enanthate (20 mg/week), flutamide (an androgen receptor blocker, 30 mg/kg twice daily), or vehicle during gestational days 35/40-70 (early) or days 105/110-140 (late). We investigated whether reducing endogenous T prenatally affected adult copulatory behavior in male rhesus monkeys. Treatment with flutamide early in gestation resulted in males with significantly less masculinized genitals that control males or males getting flutamide late in gestation. During the current year all of the prenatally treated males and females along with concurrent controls were MRI scanned to look for sex differences in brain anatomy. In collaboration with investigators at the National Institute of Aging, control MRI scans of males and females are being evaluated for structural sex differences. The prenatally treated animals are then being compared to the common morphed brains of control males and females to identify where prenatal treatments have modified brain structures.