In many female mammals, vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating modifies sexual responsiveness and initiates or induces several neuroendocrine changes which influence reproductive success. VCS is required in rodent for initiation of the endocrine changes of early pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP), in particular twice-daily surges of prolactin (PRL) secretion which maintain corpus luteum function. The particular characteristics of the VCS received by the female during mating are critical determinants of whether PSP will occur, and there is a unique correspondence between the pattern of VCS which the female requires for initiation of pregnancy and the patterning of copulatory stimulation received by the female during mating. Therefore, this model system offers an opportunity to examine at the cellular level how the expression of behavior can influence neural function over a prolonged period. Despite advances in our understanding of the endocrine mechanisms responsible for PSP, our knowledge remains incomplete, particularly in the area of the initiation phase of the PRL surges. Recent work from the PI's laboratory has shown that a productive approach to the question of how mating stimulation initiates PRL surges is to use naturally-occurring patterns of coital stimulation to evaluate changes in neural function which are specific to PSP. Research carried out during the tenure of this grant will explore the proximal neural and endocrine changes which occur in response to VCS in several areas of the brain which the investigator's have identified to be involved in the process by which VCS is transduced into the PRL surge of early pregnancy/PSP. Experiments will: 1) determine which specific PRL responses to mating are responsible for PSP; 2) explore the role of the medial amygdala in transducing the afferent genitosensory input into the neuroendocrine changes of PSP; 3) examine whether ascending noradrenergic fibers are involved in initiating changes within the medial amygdala necessary for PSP; and 4) examine the role of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus in the induction of PRL urges by mating. The broad research goal of this Independent Scientist Award application is to use neuroethological approaches to define the cellular mechanisms by which mating behavior initiates neuroendocrine responses of early pregnancy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02MH001435-05
Application #
6530787
Study Section
Psychobiology, Behavior, and Neuroscience Review Committee (PBN)
Program Officer
Leppert, Phyllis C
Project Start
1998-05-01
Project End
2003-04-30
Budget Start
2002-03-01
Budget End
2003-04-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$98,033
Indirect Cost
Name
Boston University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
042250712
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02215
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Oberlander, J G; Erskine, M S (2008) Receipt of vaginal-cervical stimulation modifies synapsin content in limbic areas of the female rat. Neuroscience 153:581-93
Northrop, Lesley E; Erskine, Mary S (2008) Selective oxytocin receptor activation in the ventrolateral portion of the ventromedial hypothalamus is required for mating-induced pseudopregnancy in the female rat. Endocrinology 149:836-42
Yang, Jasmine J; Oberlander, Joseph G; Erskine, Mary S (2007) Expression of FOS, EGR-1, and ARC in the amygdala and hippocampus of female rats during formation of the intromission mnemonic of pseudopregnancy. Dev Neurobiol 67:895-908
Northrop, L E; Shadrach, J L; Erskine, M S (2006) Noradrenergic innervation of the ventromedial hypothalamus is involved in mating-induced pseudopregnancy in the female rat. J Neuroendocrinol 18:577-83
Evrard, Henry C (2006) Estrogen synthesis in the spinal dorsal horn: a new central mechanism for the hormonal regulation of pain. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 291:R291-9
Lehmann, M L; Erskine, M S (2005) Glutamatergic stimulation of the medial amygdala induces steroid dependent c-fos expression within forebrain nuclei responsive to mating stimulation. Neuroscience 136:55-64
Robbins, Jessica M; Vaccarino, Viola; Zhang, Heping et al. (2005) Socioeconomic status and diagnosed diabetes incidence. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 68:230-6
Erskine, Mary S (2005) Learning about sex: conditioning of partner preference: theoretical comment on Coria-Avila et Al. (2005). Behav Neurosci 119:1136-9
Lehmann, Michael L; McKellar, Heather; Erskine, Mary S (2005) Coding for the initiation of pseudopregnancy by temporally patterned activation of amygdalar NMDA receptors. J Neurosci 25:8696-703

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