Voltammetric Analysis of Female Reproduction

雌性哺乳动物成功繁殖的一个关键因素是与雄性的生殖状态相结合。女性如何完成这种整合已经在行为层面上得到了理解，但在神经生物学层面上仍然知之甚少。将开发一种神经模型来精确测量大脑特定区域（伏隔核）多巴胺的化学信号，在该区域，多巴胺能活动与雄性成功繁殖的行为相互作用暂时同步。快速扫描循环伏安法（fast-scan cyclic伏安法）结合电生理记录，将被用于测量雌性伏隔核在繁殖过程中释放的多巴胺，并确定神经细胞如何对多巴胺介导的信号做出反应。快速扫描循环伏安法通过每100毫秒测量一次，能够测量多巴胺信号的动态变化，从而将多巴胺信号和行为反应暂时耦合起来。该项目不仅将确定神经系统如何解决大脑和行为活动的生殖整合这一复杂问题，而且还将为详细分析生殖和其他社会行为的神经调节开辟新的途径。从伊利诺伊州立大学Paul Garris博士的实验室（Garris博士是快速扫描循环伏安法开发的世界领导者）转移到明尼苏达大学的技术对研究目标产生了重大影响。该项目还将提供一个平台，使这项技术可供全国各地的一系列调查人员使用。这项技术的发展和随后的传播将包括在网上提供原始数据，以及通过OmniScience （www.omnisci.org）创建可作为教学工具的网上模拟。该项目将提供一个重要的研究基地，以纳入本科生，特别是代表性不足的少数民族学生，作为其科学教育和扫盲的组成部分。

A critical component of successful reproduction in female mammals involves integration with the male's reproductive state. How the female performs this integration is understood at the behavioral level, but is still poorly understood at the neurobiological level. A neural model will be developed to precisely measure chemical signaling of dopamine in a particular brain region (the nucleus accumbens) where dopaminergic activity is temporally synchronized with behavioral interactions with the male for successful reproduction. A technically sophisticated and innovative approach know as fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, combined with electrophysiological recording, will be used to measure dopamine release in the female's nucleus accumbens during reproduction and determine how nerve cells respond to dopamine-mediated signals. The fast scan cyclic voltammetry has the capability of measuring dynamic changes in dopamine signaling by taking measurements every 100 milliseconds, thus temporally coupling dopamine signaling and behavioral responses. This project will not only identify how the nervous system solves a complex problem of reproductive integration of brain and behavioral activities, but will also open up new avenues for detailed analyses of the neural regulation of reproduction and other social behaviors. The transfer of technology from Dr. Paul Garris's lab (Dr. Garris is a world leader in the development of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry) at Illinois State University to the University of Minnesota is a significant impact of the research goals. The project will also provide a platform for making this technology available to a range of investigators throughout the country. The development of this technology and subsequent dissemination will include making the raw data available online as well as creating online simulations that can be used as instructional tools through OmniScience (www.omnisci.org). The project will provide an important research base for the inclusion of undergraduate students, particularly underrepresented minority students, as a component of their science education and literacy.