Neural Changes Induced by Mating in the Female

描述（由申请方提供）：在雌性大鼠中，在交配或分娩期间接受的阴道子宫刺激（VCAM）会改变性行为和母性行为，并诱导影响生殖成功的神经内分泌变化。需要交配来启动妊娠早期的内分泌变化，特别是在妊娠或假孕（PSP）的前10-12天每天两次的垂体催乳素（PRL）分泌激增，并维持卵巢孕酮分泌。女性在自然交配过程中所接受的催乳素的特定特征决定了PSP是否会发生，并且女性所接受的导入次数和时间都被证明会影响PRL激增的启动。数据表明，积极的图案或起搏的女性交配过程中的刺激是至关重要的处理和存储的genitosensory输入和间歇性和不连续的刺激导致起搏交配的可能性最大化，足够数量的刺激积累在大脑中的PSP。我们假设，这些PRL激增的表达是依赖于在整个一个单一的情节交配和长期的变化，使PRL激增的表达在随后的10-12天的个人刺激的总和。先前的工作已经表征了最适合于诱导PRL激增的自然交配刺激，确定了PRL分泌的哪些特定变化是这种刺激的直接结果，确定了内侧杏仁核（MEApd）是这种反应的重要整合中心，并开始研究MEApd内的多巴胺能和去甲肾上腺素能神经传递是否以及如何参与神经记忆的建立需要PSP。本申请中概述的实验将使用该模型系统来解决更广泛的问题，即如何过滤感官刺激以最大限度地保留信息，以及感官输入如何诱导神经可塑性，这可能会长期改变大脑功能。这个独立科学家奖的续期申请建议PI学习具有体视学精度的共聚焦显微镜，并进行一项合作电生理研究，检查MEApd神经元对重复重复性刺激的反应。该计划将促进短期目标（共聚焦工作），并将探索解决长期研究目标（电生理项目）的途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In female rats, vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating or parturition modifies sexual and maternal behavior and induces neuroendocrine changes which influence reproductive success. Mating is required to initiate the endocrine changes of early pregnancy, in particular, the twice-daily surges of pituitary prolactin (PRL) secretion which occur for the first 10-12 days of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP) and which maintain ovarian progesterone secretion. The particular characteristics of the VCS received by the female during a natural mating sequence determine whether PSP will occur, and both the number and the timing of intromissions received by the female have been shown to influence the initiation of the PRL surges. Data suggest that active patterning or pacing of VCS by the female during mating is critical for processing and storage of genitosensory inputs and that the intermittent and discontinuous stimuli resulting from paced mating maximize the likelihood that sufficient amounts of stimulation accumulate in brain for PSP. We have hypothesized that expression of these PRL surges is dependent both upon summation of individual stimuli throughout a single episode of mating and upon longer-term changes which perpetuate the expression of PRL surges over the subsequent 10-12 days. Previous work has characterized the natural mating stimuli which are optimal for induction of the PRL surges, determined which specific changes in PRL secretion are the direct consequence of such stimulation, established that the medial amygdala (MEApd) is an important integrative center for this response, and begun to examine whether and how glutamatergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission within the MEApd are involved in establishment of the neural mnemonic required for PSP. The experiments outlined in this application will use this model system to address the broader questions of how sensory stimulation is filtered to maximize retention of information and how sensory input induces neural plasticity which may alter brain function over the long term. This Independent Scientist Award renewal application proposes that the PI learn confocal microscopy with stereological precision and that she undertake a collaborative electrophysiological study examining responses of MEApd neurons to repetitive VCS. This plan will facilitate short-term goals (confocal work) and will explore avenues for addressing long-term research goals (electrophysiological project).