Neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of sexual behavior

这项申请中提出的研究的目的是继续我们的特定神经解剖学和神经化学系统的识别，这些系统是雌性和雄性大鼠性行为食欲和性欲方面的基础。神经药理学和分子技术的结合将被用来检测单胺(多巴胺和5-羟色胺)、小分子(谷氨酸和GABA)以及神经肽(阿片类药物、黑素皮质素、催产素)在中脑边缘和下丘脑区域对不同类型的性刺激的反应。这些刺激将包括信息素提示和生殖器感觉刺激。体内微透析将被用来表征性行为过程中中脑边缘和下丘脑区域的多巴胺、谷氨酸、GABA(或不同的神经肽)。这项研究将专注于控制性唤起、欲望、奖励、抑制和去抑制的机制，并将重点放在雌性大鼠的引诱和步调行为，以及雄性大鼠的性预期和追逐行为，以及传统的经络和骑跨行为的消耗测量。欲求性行为的发展和维持似乎需要在雄性大鼠射精或雌性大鼠有节奏的迷走神经刺激后激活性奖赏系统。我们以前的工作表明，内侧视前区和下丘脑腹内侧核、中脑腹侧被盖区和几个杏仁核在性奖赏期望的产生中存在相互作用。除了对食欲性行为的研究外，通过将性行为活跃的大鼠与不接受性欲的伴侣配对，通过检验性不耐受或发情终止的机制，这项工作将为大鼠的食欲和完成性行为的神经控制提供新的见解，这些行为可以被视为人类性唤醒、欲望和交配表现的模型。

The objectives of the research proposed in this application are to continue our identification of specific neuroanatomical and neurochemical systems that underlie appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior in female and male rats.  A combination of neuropharmacological and molecular techniques will be used to examine the role of monoamines (dopamine and serotonin), small molecules (glutamate and GABA), and neuropeptides (opioids, melanocortins, oxytocin) within mesolimbic and hypothalamic brain regions in response to different types of sexual stimulation.  These stimuli will include pheromonal cues and genitosensory stimulation. In vivo microdialysis will be used to characterize dopamine, glutamate, GABA (or different neuropeptides) in mesolimbic and hypothalamic regions during sexual interactions.  The research will focus on the mechanisms that control sexual arousal, desire, reward, inhibition, and disinhibition, and will focus on solicitation and pacing behaviors in female rats, and sexual anticipation and chasing behaviors in male rats, in addition to traditional consummatory measures of lordosis and mounting behavior. The development and maintenance of appetitive sexual behaviors appear to require the activation of sexual reward systems following ejaculation in male rats or paced vaginocervical stimulation in female rats.  Our previous work has indicated an interaction between the medial preoptic area and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain, and several amygdala nuclei in generation of sexual reward expectancies.  In addition to studies of appetitive sexual behavior, the neural systems that underlie sexual inhibition will begin to be elucidated by pairing sexually active rats with nonreceptive partners, by examining the mechanisms of sexual refractoriness or estrus termination, and by examining the effects of sexual nonreward during an animal's first sexual experiences.  This work will provide new insights into the neural control of appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors in rats, behaviors that can be viewed as models of human sexual arousal, desire, and copulatory performance.