Steroidal Regulation of Synaptic Input in the MPN mag

迄今为止，从昆虫到人类，类固醇对每一个物种的行为都有显著的、高度可复制的影响。行为的改变与大脑中细胞之间的连接或成人大脑中的突触的结构和功能变化密切相关。睾丸激素等性腺类固醇已被证明可以加速和诱导负责学习和记忆区域突触的强度和数量的变化。该项目的目标是确定睾酮的存在或缺失是否会改变神经网络中负责成人社交和生殖行为的神经细胞之间的突触强度。我们将利用最新的技术识别突触，并在低倍显微镜和高倍显微镜下进行检查，以确定视前区突触数量、功能和来源的显著变化，视前区是该网络的重要整合结构。这些研究结果将加深我们对性腺激素在成人大脑神经功能调节中的作用的理解，从而为未来研究促进生长的化学物质和涉及性别分化、衰老和损伤的基质奠定基础。该项目将为神经解剖学提供独特的培训机会，并将包括本科生和研究生收集，分析和处理结果。

Steroids exert dramatic, highly reproducible effects on behavior in every species studied to date from insects to man. Behavioral changes are strongly correlated with structural and functional changes in the connections among the cells in the brain, or synapses in the adult brain. Gonadal steroids such as testosterone have been shown to accelerate and induce changes in the strength and number of synapses in areas responsible for learning and memory. The goal of this project is to determine if the presence or absence of testosterone changes synaptic strength among nerve cells in a neural network responsible for social and reproductive behaviors in adults. Synapses will be identified with the latest technology and examined under low and high power microscopes to identify significant changes in the number, function, and source of synapses in the preoptic area, an important integrating structure in this network. Results from these studies will enhance our understanding of the role of gonadal steroids in the regulation of neural function in the adult brain, thus setting the stage for future studies of growth enhancing chemicals and substrates involved in sexual differentiation, aging and injury. This project will offer unique training opportunites in neuroanatomy and will include undergraduates and graduates in the collection, analysis and processing of the results.