Abstract

Castration reduces the dendritic length of androgen-sensitive motoneurons in the lumbar spinal cord of adult male rats. Androgen treatment reverses this effect. The proposal is to inject horseradish peroxidase intracellularly into these motoneurons and measure the size and shape of the dendritic tree under high and low levels of androgen. We will also measure various electrophysological characteristics of the neurons as a function of androgen level. These studies will clarify the cellular basis of androgen-induced neural plasticity in adult mammals.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD015021-16
Application #
2857408
Study Section
Neurology B Subcommittee 2 (NEUB)
Project Start
1980-12-01
Project End
2000-12-31
Budget Start
1999-01-01
Budget End
1999-12-31
Support Year
16
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095

  Publications

Lubischer, Jane L; Unguez, Graciela A; Pierotti, David J et al. (2005) Reinnervation of the rat levator ani muscle after neonatal denervation. J Neurobiol 63:188-98
Yang, L Y; Arnold, A P (2000) BDNF regulation of androgen receptor expression in axotomized SNB motoneurons of adult male rats. Brain Res 852:127-39
Yang, L Y; Arnold, A P (2000) Interaction of BDNF and testosterone in the regulation of adult perineal motoneurons. J Neurobiol 44:308-19
Jordan, C L; Padgett, B; Hershey, J et al. (1997) Ontogeny of androgen receptor immunoreactivity in lumbar motoneurons and in the sexually dimorphic levator ani muscle of male rats. J Comp Neurol 379:88-98
Al-Shamma, H A; Arnold, A P (1997) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor regulates expression of androgen receptors in perineal motoneurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94:1521-6
Jordan, C L (1996) Ciliary neurotrophic factor may act in target musculature to regulate developmental synapse elimination. Dev Neurosci 18:185-98
al-Shamma, H A; Arnold, A P (1995) Importance of target innervation in recovery from axotomy-induced loss of androgen receptor in rat perineal motoneurons. J Neurobiol 28:341-53
Jordan, C L; Watamura, S; Arnold, A P (1995) Androgenic, not estrogenic, steroids alter neuromuscular synapse elimination in the rat levator ani. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 84:215-24
Tanaka, J; Arnold, A P (1995) Specificity of androgenic regulation of input to sexually dimorphic motoneurons in male rat lumbar spinal cord. Exp Neurol 136:258-60
Lubischer, J L; Arnold, A P (1995) Evidence for target regulation of the development of androgen sensitivity in rat spinal motoneurons. Dev Neurosci 17:106-17

Showing the most recent 10 out of 40 publications