SGER: Hypothalamic Basis for Reproductive Suppression

这项探索性研究小额资助的目标是开发一种可靠和敏感的推拉灌注技术，以研究雌性猕猴自然诱导不孕的生理机制。这些灵长类动物中的许多物种都濒临灭绝。在它们特殊的社会体系中，无论是在野外还是在实验室，群体中处于从属地位的雌性都处于不育状态。从属雌虫的排卵受到抑制，而这些雌虫仍然与一个占统治地位的雌虫在一起，并帮助抚养后代。阿伯特博士已经证明了维持这些从属女性不育状态的生理机制存在于大脑的下丘脑区域。他现在将开发一种复杂的技术程序来测量下丘脑中的神经递质和下丘脑激素。研究结果将有助于更好地理解社会环境是如何通过特定的神经机制来调节女性生育能力的。这可以为繁殖技术的发展提供更好的基础，以加速这些稀有猴子的圈养繁殖，改善再引入计划和管理，以及改善对生活在南美洲野外的少数猴子的管理。

The goal of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research is to develop a reliable and sensitive push-pull perfusion technique to examine the physiological mechanisms of naturally-induced infertility in female Callitrichid Monkeys. Many species of these primates are highly endangered. In their specialized social system, subordinate females in groups in the wild and in the laboratory are kept infertile. Ovulation in subordinate females is suppressed while these females remain in the presence of a dominant female and help raise their offspring. Dr. Abbott has demonstrated that the physiological mechanism maintaining the infertile state of these subordinate females resides within the hypothalamic region of the brain. He will now develop a sophisticated technical procedure to measure neurotransmitters and hypothalamic hormones in the hypothalamus. The results will lead to a better understanding of how the social environment engages specific neural mechanisms to regulate female fertility. This could provide a better foundation for the development of reproductive techniques to accelerate the breeding of these rare monkeys in captivity and to improve the planning and management of re-introduction programs as well as improve the management of the remaining small number of monkeys living in the wilds of South American.