Changes in pain threshold and lumbar spinal cord immediate-early gene expression induced by paced and nonpaced mating in female rats

Lee, Jeung Woon; Erskine, Mary S.

doi:10.1016/s0006-8993(00)01957-0

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…In the context of memory, the Ce may be a sight of plasticity associated with conditioned fear (Pare et al, 2004). This area is also involved in pain processing and could be involved in the modulation of painful stimuli that results from VCS (Komisaruk and Whipple, 1986;Lee and Erskine, 2000). Known GABAer-gic outputs from the Ce could contribute to the VCSinduced analgesia that occurs after paced but not nonpaced mating (Lee and Erskine, 2000).…”

Section: Amygdalar Nucleimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This area is also involved in pain processing and could be involved in the modulation of painful stimuli that results from VCS (Komisaruk and Whipple, 1986;Lee and Erskine, 2000). Known GABAer-gic outputs from the Ce could contribute to the VCSinduced analgesia that occurs after paced but not nonpaced mating (Lee and Erskine, 2000). Whether the expression of ARC is involved in either of these functions is, however, unknown.…”

Section: Amygdalar Nucleimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Expression of FOS, EGR‐1, and ARC in the amygdala and hippocampus of female rats during formation of the intromission mnemonic of pseudopregnancy

Yang

Oberlander

Erskine

2007

Developmental Neurobiology

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Pseudopregnancy (PSP) in the female rat is a neuroendocrine condition that is induced by repeated and intermittent vaginocervical stimulation received during mating and involves the expression of bicircadian prolactin surges and cessation of normal estrous cyclicity for 10-12 days postmating. The temporal patterning and number of intromissions received by the female are critical for PSP initiation, and thus, short-term encoding of VCS occurs during transduction of intromissions into PSP. In this experiment, we characterized and compared the mating-induced neural activation patterns within amygdalar and hippocampal regions using expression of the immediate early genes FOS, EGR-1, and ARC. Cycling female rats mated on proestrus received 15 or 5 intromissions under paced or nonpaced mating conditions. High numbers of intromissions during nonpaced mating or low numbers received during paced mating are sufficient to induce PSP, while five nonpaced intromissions and mounts without intromission are insufficient. Here we demonstrate that the CA1 region of the hippocampus was selectively sensitive to PSP-sufficient but not PSP-insufficient mating stimulation by showing significant effects of paced mating for all three IEGs. Paced mating also stimulated the expression of ARC within the basolateral, cortical, and central nuclei of the amygdala. The posterodorsal medial amygdala also showed selective EGR-1 responses to PSP-sufficient mating stimulation. There was no effect of hemisphere on IEG expression. The postmating expression profiles of these IEGs provide evidence that limbic areas involved in encoding and consolidation of memory are involved in initiating the neuroendocrine memory of PSP.

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Section: Amygdalar Nucleimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Amygdalar Nucleimentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression of FOS, EGR‐1, and ARC in the amygdala and hippocampus of female rats during formation of the intromission mnemonic of pseudopregnancy

Yang

Oberlander

Erskine

2007

Developmental Neurobiology

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“…An additional neurotransmitter blocking pain during vagina cervical stimulation is the release of oxytocin. Plasma oxytocin increases during sexual activity, and it has been shown that oxytocin may elevate the pain threshold during intercourse [69]. Like DAMGO, oxytocin potently depressed the area of the polysynaptic component of the DR‐VR reflex, confirming the ability of oxytocin to behave as an analgesic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Neuropeptide Modulation of a Lumbar Spinal Reflex: Potential Implications for Female Sexual Function

Wilson

Wayman

Jackson

2009

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction Neuropeptides are known to modulate female receptivity. However, even though receptivity is a spinal reflex, the role of neuropeptides within the spinal cord remains to be elucidated. Aim The aims were to (i) investigate neuropeptides in the lumbosacral region; and (ii) determine how neuropeptides modulate glutamate release from stretch Ia fibers, touch sensation Aβ fibers and Aδ/C pain fibers. Main Outcome Measures Neuropeptide modulation of the lumbosacral dorsal-root ventral-root reflex in vitro. Methods Spinal cords were removed from Sprague-Dawley rats in compliance with UK Home Office guidelines. Hemisected cords were superfused with aCSF and the dorsal root (L4–S1) was stimulated to evoke glutamate release. A biphasic reflex response was evoked from the opposite ventral root consisting of a monosynaptic (Ia fibers) and polysynaptic (Aβ, Aδ/C fibers) component. Results The µ opioid receptor (MOR) agonist DAMGO inhibited the monosynaptic (EC50 0.02 ± 0.02 nM) and polysynaptic area (EC50 125 ± 167 nM) but not polysynaptic amplitude. Oxytocin and corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) inhibited the monosynaptic amplitude (EC50, 1.4 ± 1.0 nM and EC50 4.3 ± 3.5 nM, respectively), polysynaptic amplitude (EC50 18.2 ± 28.0 nM and EC50, 9.5 ± 13.3 nM, respectively), and area (EC50 11.6 ± 13.0 nM and EC50, 2.8 ± 3.3 nM, respectively); effects that were abolished by oxytocin and CRF1 antagonists, L-368899 and 8w. Melanocortin agonists solely inhibited the monosynaptic component, which were blocked by the MC3/4 receptor antagonist SHU9119. Conclusion These data suggest endogenous neuropeptides are released within the lumbosacral spinal cord. Melanocortin agonists, oxytocin, CRF, and DAMGO via MC4, oxytocin, CRF1, and MOR inhibit glutamate release but with differing effects on afferent fiber subtypes. Melanocortins, oxytocin, CRF, and DAMGO have the ability to modulate orgasm whereas oxytocin, CRF and DAMGO can increase pain threshold. Oxytocin and CRF may dampen touch sensation.

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“…The pelvic nerve appears to be essential for communicating VCS to the central nervous system for PSP induction; transection of the pelvic nerve before mating or VCS prevents Fos induction in mating‐responsive brain sites and effectively blocks PSP induction (24,60,61). Pelvic nerve afferents enter the spinal cord at the lumbar–sacral level (L6–S1), and previous anatomical studies suggest that VCS is processed primarily by dorsal horn neurones in laminae I and II at these levels (62–64). VCS is then conveyed through ascending spinal tracts to activate neurones in medullary nuclei, including noradrenergic neurones in the A1 and A2 cell groups (22,23).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Noradrenergic Nuclei that Receive Sensory Input During Mating and Project to the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Play a Role in Mating‐Induced Pseudopregnancy in the Female Rat

Northrop

Polston

Erskine

2010

J Neuroendocrinology

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In female rats, vaginal-cervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating induces bicircadian prolactin surges that are required for the maintenance of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP). The neural circuits that transmit VCS inputs to the brain have not been fully described, although mating stimulation is known to activate medullary noradrenergic cell groups that project to the forebrain. In response to VCS, these neurones release noradrenaline within the ventrolateral division of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) and the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD), two forebrain sites that are implicated in the initiation of PSP. Noradrenaline receptor activation within the VMHvl is both necessary and sufficient for PSP induction, suggesting that noradrenaline acting within the VMHvl is particularly important in mediating the effects of VCS towards the establishment of PSP. We therefore investigated whether or not endogenous, VCS-induced noradrenaline release within the VMHvl is involved in PSP induction in the rat. Before the receipt of sufficient mating stimulation to induce PSP, a retrograde neurotoxin, dopamine-β-hydroxylase-saporin (DBH-SAP), was infused bilaterally into the either the VMHvl or the MePD to selectively destroy afferent noradrenergic nuclei in the brainstem. DBH-SAP infusions into the VMHvl lesioned mating-responsive noradrenergic neurones in A1 and A2 medullary nuclei and reduced the incidence of PSP by 50%. Infusions of DBH-SAP into the MePD had no effect on the subsequent induction of PSP. These results suggest that VCS is conveyed to mating-responsive forebrain areas by brainstem noradrenergic neurones, and that the activity of noradrenergic cells projecting to the VMHvl is involved in the induction of PSP.

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Changes in pain threshold and lumbar spinal cord immediate-early gene expression induced by paced and nonpaced mating in female rats

Cited by 12 publications

References 47 publications

Expression of FOS, EGR‐1, and ARC in the amygdala and hippocampus of female rats during formation of the intromission mnemonic of pseudopregnancy

Expression of FOS, EGR‐1, and ARC in the amygdala and hippocampus of female rats during formation of the intromission mnemonic of pseudopregnancy

Neuropeptide Modulation of a Lumbar Spinal Reflex: Potential Implications for Female Sexual Function

Noradrenergic Nuclei that Receive Sensory Input During Mating and Project to the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Play a Role in Mating‐Induced Pseudopregnancy in the Female Rat

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