Central nervous system innervation of the penis as revealed by the transneuronal transport of pseudorabies virus

Marson, Lesley; Platt, Kenneth B.; McKenna, Kevin E.

doi:10.1016/0306-4522(93)90471-q

Cited by 199 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…5,6 In particular, the MPOA appears to be critical for male sexual behavior in all vertebrate species. 7 The nuclei of hypothalamic neurons contain several neurotransmitters that may be involved in penile erection, although the precise role and sequence of their activity remains to be elucidated.…”

Section: Neuroanatomy Of Male Sexual Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Preclinical effects of melanocortins in male sexual dysfunction

Shadiack¹,

Althof²

2008

Int J Impot Res

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The neurobiology of sexual behavior involves the interrelationships between sex steroids and neurotransmitters that result in both central nervous system (CNS) effects and effects in the genitalia. Tools such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning can help determine what areas of the brain are activated under sexual stimulation. Our understanding of the role of various neurotransmitters, neurosteroids and other CNS-acting compounds is improving. The role of CNS-acting compounds such as dopamine agonists in the treatment of male sexual dysfunction is under active investigation. Melanocortins have CNS and peripheral roles in a wide variety of bodily functions. The melanocortin agonist bremelanotide appears to act in the CNS to promote erections in preclinical models, and may also stimulate behaviors that facilitate sexual activity beyond their erectogenic effects.

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Section: Neuroanatomy Of Male Sexual Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Preclinical effects of melanocortins in male sexual dysfunction

Shadiack¹,

Althof²

2008

Int J Impot Res

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“…They are present in the dorsal grey commissure of the L6±S1 spinal cord, in the area around the central canal and the intermediate grey matter of the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral spinal cord. 14,15 Neurons in the same areas express the immediate early gene fos in response to stimulation of the dorsal penile nerve. 16 …”

Section: Spinal Nuclei That Control Penile Erectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Central noradrenergic control of penile erection

Giuliano

Rampin

2000

Int J Impot Res

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Penile erection is completely dependent on commands from the central nervous system. Spinal centers controlling penile erection are located in the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral spinal cord. These centers are activated by information from the periphery and supraspinal nuclei so as to elicit penile erection in a variety of physiological contexts. A small number of nuclei including the locus coeruleus located in the pons sends noradrenergic ®bers to the forebrain and spinal cord, including those areas controlling penile erection. Recent morphological techniques such as in situ hybridization and autoradiography using radioligand binding permit investigation of the brain and spinal pathways utilizing alpha adrenoceptor subtypes. Furthermore, pharmacological experiments suggest a modulatory role for noradrenaline in the control of penile erection either in the brain or in the spinal cord. The most robust evidence is that central inhibition of alpha-2 adrenoceptors facilitates sexual function. Taken together, the data propose new directions in the physiological exploration of penile erection and the therapeutic approach of erectile dysfunction.

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“…The present results demonstrate that MPO stimulation induces Fos in PAG neurons that project to both the NRM and nucleus PGi. NRM and nucleus PGi project to the thoracic and lumbrosacral spinal cord, including to sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic regions involved in sexual reflexes (Holstege et al, 1979;Martin et al, 1985;Holstege and Tan, 1987;Shen et al, 1990;Marson et al, 1993). Thus, activation of the MPO, a forebrain region intimately involved in sexual behavior, excites a substantial population of PAG neurons that project to the medulla.…”

Section: Reproductivementioning

confidence: 99%

Medial preoptic area afferents to periaqueductal gray medullo-output neurons: a combined Fos and tract tracing study

et al. 1996

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We have shown recently that the medial preoptic area (MPO) robustly innervates discrete columns along the rostrocaudal axis of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG). However, the location of PAG neurons responsive to MPO activation is not known. Anterograde tract tracing was used in combination with Fos immunohistochemistry to characterize the MPO -+ PAG pathway anatomically and ,functionally within the same animal. Focal electrical or chemical stimulation of MPO in anesthetized rats induced extensive Fos expression within the PAG compared with sham controls. Fos-positive neurons were organized as 2-3 longitudinal columns. The organization and location of these columns overlapped remarkably well with the distribution of fibers and terminals in PAG labeled by Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) injected into the same MPO stimulation site. This indicates that MPO inputs may terminate on the soma or proximal dendrites of neurons exhibiting elevated Fos. A second series of experiments investigated whether MPO stimulation excited PAG neurons with descending projections to the medulla. Retrograde labeling of PAG neurons projecting to the medial and lateral regions of the rostroventral medulla (RVM) was combined with MPO-induced Fos expression. The results showed that a substantial population (3743%)of Fos-positive PAG neurons projected to the ventral medulla. This indicates that MPO stimulation engages PAG-medullary output neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that the MPO + PAG + RVM projection constitutes a functional pathway. This circuit may coordinately regulate neuroendocrine, motor, and autonomic adjustments necessary for the elaboration of sexual behaviors.Key words: reproduction; antinociception; cardiovascular regulation; brainstem; sexual behavior; immunohistochemistryThe medial preoptic area (h/[PO) is a sexually dimorphic structure Simerly et al., 1984;Bloch and Gorski, 1988) that plays a pivotal role in sexual behavior and neuroendocrine function (Lisk, 1966;Powers and Valenstein, 1972;Pfaff and Sakuma, 1979;Hansen et al., 1982;Arendash and Gorski, 1983;Kalra and Kalra, 1983;Docke et al., 1984;Sachs and Meisel, 1988;Simerly et al., 1990;DonCarlos et al., 1991;Takeo et al., 1993;Hoshina et al., 1994). We recently reported that MPO robustly innervates the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) (Rizvi et al., 1992) and terminates in discrete, longitudinally organized columns running through the rostrocaudal axis of PAG.PAG plays a key role in antinociception (Reynolds, 1969;Liebeskind et al., 1973;Oliveras et al., 1974;Behbehani and Fields, 1979; Lovick, 3985;Morgan and Liebeskind, 1987;Reichling et al., 1988;Lovick, 1990), cardiovascular control (Lovick, 1985;Carrive et al., 1987;Carrive et al., 1988;Carrive et al., 1989a;Lovick, 1990;Verberne and Guyenet, 1992;Murphy et al., 1994a;Murphy et al., 1995), and many of the same neuroendocrine and reproductive functions as MPO (Pfaff and SchwartzGiblin, 1988;Ogawa et al., 1991;Shipley et al., 1995). PAG neurons involved in these functions also are ...

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Central nervous system innervation of the penis as revealed by the transneuronal transport of pseudorabies virus

Cited by 199 publications

References 70 publications

Preclinical effects of melanocortins in male sexual dysfunction

Preclinical effects of melanocortins in male sexual dysfunction

Central noradrenergic control of penile erection

Medial preoptic area afferents to periaqueductal gray medullo-output neurons: a combined Fos and tract tracing study

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