The Role of Dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens and Striatum during Sexual Behavior in the Female Rat

Becker, Jill B.; Rudick, Charles N.; Jenkins, W. J.

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.21-09-03236.2001

Cited by 180 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Likewise, increasing levels of testosterone and oestrogen promote dopamine release (Hull et al 1999;Auger et al 2001;Becker et al 2001;Appararundaram et al 2002;Creutz & Kritzer 2002;Pfaff 2005). When a male rat is placed in an adjacent cage, where he can see or smell an oestrous female, activity of central dopamine increases and contributes to sexual arousal and pursuit of the female (West et al 1992;Wenkstern et al 1993;Hull et al 1995Hull et al , 1997Hull et al , 2002.…”

Section: The Sex Drive and Mate Preference: Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice

Fisher

Aron

Brown

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

337

170

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Mammals and birds regularly express mate preferences and make mate choices. Data on mate choice among mammals suggest that this behavioural 'attraction system' is associated with dopaminergic reward pathways in the brain. It has been proposed that intense romantic love, a human crosscultural universal, is a developed form of this attraction system. To begin to determine the neural mechanisms associated with romantic attraction in humans, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study 17 people who were intensely 'in love'. Activation specific to the beloved occurred in the brainstem right ventral tegmental area and right postero-dorsal body of the caudate nucleus. These and other results suggest that dopaminergic reward and motivation pathways contribute to aspects of romantic love. We also used fMRI to study 15 men and women who had just been rejected in love. Preliminary analysis showed activity specific to the beloved in related regions of the reward system associated with monetary gambling for uncertain large gains and losses, and in regions of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex associated with theory of mind, obsessive/compulsive behaviours and controlling anger. These data contribute to our view that romantic love is one of the three primary brain systems that evolved in avian and mammalian species to direct reproduction. The sex drive evolved to motivate individuals to seek a range of mating partners; attraction evolved to motivate individuals to prefer and pursue specific partners; and attachment evolved to motivate individuals to remain together long enough to complete species-specific parenting duties. These three behavioural repertoires appear to be based on brain systems that are largely distinct yet interrelated, and they interact in specific ways to orchestrate reproduction, using both hormones and monoamines. Romantic attraction in humans and its antecedent in other mammalian species play a primary role: this neural mechanism motivates individuals to focus their courtship energy on specific others, thereby conserving valuable time and metabolic energy, and facilitating mate choice.

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Section: The Sex Drive and Mate Preference: Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice

Fisher

Aron

Brown

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

337

170

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“…E 2 alters other reward-related processes that increase dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens or striatum of female rats, such as wheel-running, locomotion, and pacing of copulatory contacts (Becker et al, 1987(Becker et al, , 2001; as reviewed by Becker, 1999;Jenkins and Becker, 2003;Mermelstein and Becker, 1995; as reviewed by Lynch et al, 2002;Pfaus et al, 1995;Xiao and Becker, 1997). Pharmacological blockade of estrogen receptors (ERs) in these regions with the selective antagonist, ICI 182,780, but not tamoxifen (which can have both agonistic and antagonistic effects at ERs) attenuates E 2 -facilitated pacing behavior (Xiao and Becker, 1997;Xiao et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estradiol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference may Require Actions at Estrogen Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens

Walf

Rhodes

Meade

et al. 2006

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Intrinsic rewarding effects of estradiol (E 2 ) may underlie some of the sex differences that emerge postpuberty for the prevalence of drug use and behavioral responses to drugs, but the effects and mechanisms of E 2 for reward have not been well characterized. Conditioned place preference (CPP), as measured by the time spent on the nonpreferred/drug-associated side of the chamber, was utilized as a functional assay to investigate the effects and mechanisms of E 2 in the nucleus accumbens for reward. To determine whether intracellular estrogen receptors (ERs) are important for E 2 -induced CPP, rats were administered E 2 (10 mg; subcutaneously (s.c.)), which produced CPP in each experiment, and/or ER blockers, such as tamoxifen (Experiment 1), ICI 182,780 (Experiment 2), or antisense oligonucleotides targeted to ERs (Experiment 3). Experiment 1: E 2 significantly increased the time spent on the originally nonpreferred side of the chamber. Coadministration of tamoxifen (10 mg/kg; s.c.) attenuated effects of E 2 to produce a CPP, but tamoxifen alone, increased time spent on the nonpreferred side. Experiment 2: coadministration of ICI 182,780 (10 mg/ml) to the nucleus accumbens attenuated effects of E 2 to enhance CPP and did not produce a CPP when administered alone. Experiment 3: coadministration of s.c. E 2 with ER antisense oligonucleotides to the nucleus accumbens significantly decreased time spent on the nonpreferred side and expression of ERs in the nucleus accumbens compared to scrambled antisense oligonucleotides or saline vehicle administration. Thus, E 2 's rewarding effects may involve actions at ERs in the nucleus accumbens.

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“…DA release in the striatum, particularly in nucleus accumbens, has been postulated to mediate the reinforcing properties of food, drugs of abuse, and sexual experience. Alternatively, it has been suggested that an increase in extracellular DA in nucleus accumbens or striatum may be associated with stimuli predicting reinforcement (see Becker, Charles, Rudick, William, & Jenkins, 2001). …”

Section: Proestrusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of the estrous cycle on some non reproductive behaviors and on brain mechanisms in the female rat

Jatuff

Torrecilla

Quercetti

et al. 2012

Interd

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El rol de las hormonas sexuales sobre el comportamiento reproductivo ha sido extensamente documentado. La fluctuación periódica de hormonas sexuales en hembras de numerosas especies ha sido relacionada con cambios comportamentales no sexuales tales como humor, ansie dad, agresión y respuesta a estrés. El sustrato bioló-gico-neural de estos cambios se basa en los cambios que estas hormonas inducen en el Sistema Nervioso Central. Este trabajo resume algunos cambios que afectan a receptores y neurotrasmisores de los sistemas GABAérgico, serotoninér-gico, dopaminérgico y péptido liberador de prolactina del SNC de la rata. La rata hembra posee un ciclo sexual de 4 días de duración, denominado ciclo estrual. La presente revisión se informa en tres secciones. (1) Se presenta una breve descripción de la variación de tres hormonas sexuales principales con acción directa sobre el SNC: estrógenos (E2), progesterona (P4) y prolactina (PRL). Se han descripto propiedades ansiolíticas para P4 y anti-estrés para PRL; para E2, la bibliografía es controvertida, describiéndose acciones excitatorias y anti-estrés. (2) Se informan algunos cambios cerebrales y comportamentales que tienen lugar en cada estadio del ciclo estrual. Las fluctuaciones hormonales se consideran bá-sicas para la interpretación de tales cambios. (3) Se mencionan algunos hallazgos acerca de la influencia hormonal cíclica sobre los sistemas de neurotransmisión del SNC y sobre un nuevo pép-tido propuesto como mediador de la respuesta a INTERDISCIPLINARIA, 2012, 29, 1, 63-77 63 INFLUENCE OF THE ESTROUS ABSTRACTSex hormone fluctuations in females are involv ed in some behavioral states such as mood, anxiety, aggression and stress response, due to functional changes in the central nervous system (CNS) activity induced by the cyclic sex hormone fluctuation. This review includes three sections.1.-A description of the three major hormone fluctuations in the estrous cycle: estrogens (E2), progesterone (P4) and prolactine (PRL). E2 achieves the maximum circulation levels during P. E2 is mainly excitatory and has been considered to have an antidepressive action. The highest plasma levels of P4 and its metabolite allopregnenolone (ALLO) occur in P. Ovulation takes place in the night of P, and the resulting corpora lutea produces a secondary increase in P4 (and ALLO) on D. The P4 peak level occurring in D1 and in the evening of P was shown to exert benzodiazepine-like effects, including sedation. It has been proposed that ALLO, rather than P4 is the one acting on GABA systems. Circulating levels of ALLO parallel those of P4 across the estrous cycle and is known to have anxiolytic properties.PRL is produced mainly in the adeno hy pophysis, though synthesis in other sites of the brain also occurs. Its regulation is mostly inhibitory and is exerted by dopamine (DA) released in the hypothalamus. A surge in PRL secretion occurs during P. PRL would be a modulator of the HPA-axis, and is considered as a stress hormone.2.-Some behavioral and neural changes occur at each stage ...

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The Role of Dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens and Striatum during Sexual Behavior in the Female Rat

Cited by 180 publications

References 22 publications

Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice

Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for mate choice

Estradiol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference may Require Actions at Estrogen Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens

Influence of the estrous cycle on some non reproductive behaviors and on brain mechanisms in the female rat

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