STEROID/CATECHOLAMINE INTERACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR

描述(改编自申请者的摘要)：本研究的目标 程序是阐明基本的神经内分泌机制，调节 生殖行为的激活。它涉及到对 激素、大脑和行为之间的相互关系及方法 以及适合于研究这三个问题的实验方法 管理激素依赖的综合系统的组成部分 行为。计划中的实验集中在神经内分泌机制上。 日本人对食欲和饱食性男性性行为的规范 鹌鹑(Coturnix Japan Onica)。尤其是由 儿茶酚胺、多巴胺和类固醇代谢酶， 芳香酶与睾酮(T)激活男性的关系 将对繁殖行为进行调查。拟议的工作充分利用了 对以往关于男性性行为神经内分泌控制的研究 使该物种成为这些物种的独特模式的行为 调查。特别值得注意的是，能够可靠地在 脑芳香酶的蛋白和mRNA的细胞水平。在……里面 在这一应用中，提出了13个实验，这些实验旨在分析 与多巴胺和脑芳香化酶相互作用有关的三个特定目标 T对调节男性性行为的神经环路的影响 行为。目标I涉及食欲和食欲的不同调节 男性性行为的完美性方面。病变和轨迹追踪 研究以及神经激活的组织学方法也被提出。 为了描述调节男性这两个成分的神经回路 行为[摘录1-6]。AIM II旨在研究多巴胺能 芳香酶的调节，并将涉及体内和体外研究 这种互动的影响[摘录7-11]。目标三侧重于确定 三叉神经节连通性和化学神经解剖学的性别差异 脑内激素敏感区及其与性别差异的关系 男性食欲和性欲方面的荷尔蒙激活 性行为[执行部分12-13]。调停机制的阐明 类固醇对神经回路的影响与许多重大问题有关。 面对行为神经科学领域。类固醇激素一直是 发现对大脑形态和可塑性都有广泛的影响 在发育阶段和成年期。类固醇神经递质的研究进展 互动也可能提供对性的病因的洞察 分化的或依赖类固醇的疾病。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The goal of this research program is to elucidate fundamental neuroendocrine mechanisms mediating the activation of reproductive behavior. It involves an investigation of the interrelationship among hormones, brain, and behavior and includes methods and experimental approaches appropriate to the study of all three of these components of the integrated system that governs hormone-dependent behaviors. The proposed experiments focus on the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating appetitive and consummatory male sexual behavior in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). In particular the related roles played by the catecholamine, dopamine (DA), and the steroid metabolizing enzyme, aromatase, in relation to the activation by testosterone (T) of male reproductive behavior will be investigated. The proposed work capitalizes on previous findings concerning the neuroendocrine control of male sexual behavior in quail that make this species a unique model for these investigations. Especially notable is the ability to localize reliably at the cellular level both the protein and the mRNA of brain aromatase. In this application, 13 experiments are proposed that are designed to analyze three specific aims relating to the interaction of DA and brain aromatase in relation to the effects of T on the neural circuit mediating male sexual behavior. Aim I concerns the differential regulation of appetitive and consummatory aspects of male sexual behavior. Lesion and tract tracing studies, along with histological measures of neural activation, are proposed to characterize the neural circuit mediating these two components of male behavior [Expts 1-6]. Aim II is designed to investigate the dopaminergic regulation of aromatase and will involve both in vivo and in vitro studies of this interaction [Expts 7-11]. Aim III focuses on the identification of sex differences in the connectivity and chemical neuroanatomy of steroid-sensitive brain areas and their relationship to sex differences in the hormonal activation of appetitive and consummatory aspects of male sexual behavior [Expts 12-13]. The elucidation of the mechanisms mediating steroid effects on a neural circuit is relevant to many significant issues facing the field of behavioral neuroscience. Steroid hormones have been found to have wide ranging effects on brain morphology and plasticity both during development and in adulthood. The study of steroid-neurotransmitter interactions also may provide insight into the etiology of sexually differentiated or steroid-dependent diseases.