Proximate Mechanisms Regulating Fertility

小行星9604321 今天，美国有230万对夫妇不育。 这些病例中有三分之一是由于卵巢相关的不孕症，而无排卵的心理社会原因导致了20-30%的卵巢损伤。 合作繁殖动物（动物社会中，比单一繁殖对更多的个体帮助饲养繁殖者的后代）提供了独特的模式，用于研究女性排卵的社会心理控制。 Abbott博士和Saltzman博士正在研究一个物种，在这个物种中，成熟的、社会地位低下的雌性表现出对排卵和行为的严重抑制。 这种社会诱发的不孕症不是由于普遍的压力，可以很容易地扭转，这取决于女性的社会地位。 通过采用特定的行为和生理技术，Abbott博士和Saltzman博士将研究动物逆转其繁殖能力的神经内分泌机制。 使用最先进的推拉灌注技术，他们将测量下丘脑的促性腺激素释放激素，以确定这种重要激素释放的短暂升高是否介导了行为诱导的从无排卵状态到周期性发作的转变。 这些研究的结果将阐明女性生育的心理社会控制的行为和神经机制。 这些基本知识将有助于更好地了解不孕症。 这些结果对于保护工作也很重要，有助于了解与濒危物种生育力相关的问题。

9604321 Abbott Today, 2.3 million couples in USA are infertile. One third of these cases are due to ovarian-related infertility in women, and psychosocial causes of anovulation contribute to 20-30% of these ovarian impairments. Cooperatively breeding animals (animal societies in which more individuals than the single breeding pair aid in raising the breeders' offspring) provide unique models for the investigation of psychosocial control of ovulation in females. Dr. Abbott and Saltzman are studying a species in which mature, socially subordinate females exhibit profound suppression of ovulation and behavior. This socially induced infertility is not due to generalized stress and can be readily reversed, depending upon a female's social status. By employing specific behavioral and physiological techniques, Dr. Abbott and Dr. Saltzman will examine the neuroendocrine mechanisms by which animals reverse their ability to reproduce. Using state-of- the-art technology in push-pull perfusion, they will measure gonadotropin releasing-hormone from the hypothalamus to determine whether transitory elevations in release of this important hormone mediates the behaviorally-induced transition from the anovulatory state to the onset of cyclicity. The results from these studies will elucidate the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying the psychosocial control of fertility in females. This basic knowledge will lead to a better understanding of infertility. The results are also important in conservation efforts to help understand problems associated with fertility in endangered species.