Neural Changes Induced by Mating in the Female

描述（由申请人提供）：在雌性大鼠中，在交配或分娩期间接受阴道宫颈刺激（VCS）可以改变性行为和母性行为，并诱导影响生殖成功的神经内分泌变化。交配需要启动妊娠早期的内分泌变化，特别是在妊娠或假妊娠（PSP）的前10-12天，垂体催乳素（PRL）分泌每天两次的激增，维持卵巢黄体酮分泌。雌性在自然交配过程中接收到的VCS的特殊特征决定了PSP是否会发生，雌性接收到的导入的数量和时间都被证明会影响PRL激增的开始。数据表明，雌性在交配过程中激活的VCS模式或节奏对于生殖器感觉输入的处理和存储至关重要，并且由节奏性交配产生的间歇性和不连续刺激最大限度地增加了在大脑中积累足够量的PSP刺激的可能性。我们假设，这些PRL激增的表达既依赖于单个刺激在单次交配中的总和，也依赖于在随后的10-12天内使PRL激增表达永续的长期变化。先前的工作已经确定了最适合诱导PRL高潮的自然交配刺激，确定了PRL分泌的哪些特定变化是这种刺激的直接结果，确定了内侧杏仁核（MEApd）是这种反应的重要整合中心，并开始研究MEApd内的谷氨酸能和去甲肾上腺素能神经传递是否以及如何参与PSP所需的神经助记功能的建立。本应用程序中概述的实验将使用该模型系统来解决更广泛的问题，即如何过滤感觉刺激以最大限度地保留信息，以及感觉输入如何诱导可能长期改变大脑功能的神经可塑性。这项独立科学家奖的更新申请建议PI学习立体精度的共聚焦显微镜，并进行一项合作电生理研究，检查MEApd神经元对重复VCS的反应。该计划将促进短期目标（共聚焦工作），并将探索解决长期研究目标（电生理项目）的途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In female rats, vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating or parturition modifies sexual and maternal behavior and induces neuroendocrine changes which influence reproductive success. Mating is required to initiate the endocrine changes of early pregnancy, in particular, the twice-daily surges of pituitary prolactin (PRL) secretion which occur for the first 10-12 days of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP) and which maintain ovarian progesterone secretion. The particular characteristics of the VCS received by the female during a natural mating sequence determine whether PSP will occur, and both the number and the timing of intromissions received by the female have been shown to influence the initiation of the PRL surges. Data suggest that active patterning or pacing of VCS by the female during mating is critical for processing and storage of genitosensory inputs and that the intermittent and discontinuous stimuli resulting from paced mating maximize the likelihood that sufficient amounts of stimulation accumulate in brain for PSP. We have hypothesized that expression of these PRL surges is dependent both upon summation of individual stimuli throughout a single episode of mating and upon longer-term changes which perpetuate the expression of PRL surges over the subsequent 10-12 days. Previous work has characterized the natural mating stimuli which are optimal for induction of the PRL surges, determined which specific changes in PRL secretion are the direct consequence of such stimulation, established that the medial amygdala (MEApd) is an important integrative center for this response, and begun to examine whether and how glutamatergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission within the MEApd are involved in establishment of the neural mnemonic required for PSP. The experiments outlined in this application will use this model system to address the broader questions of how sensory stimulation is filtered to maximize retention of information and how sensory input induces neural plasticity which may alter brain function over the long term. This Independent Scientist Award renewal application proposes that the PI learn confocal microscopy with stereological precision and that she undertake a collaborative electrophysiological study examining responses of MEApd neurons to repetitive VCS. This plan will facilitate short-term goals (confocal work) and will explore avenues for addressing long-term research goals (electrophysiological project).