Abstract

The research project investigates the cellular basis for developmental shifts in responsiveness to endocrine and behavioral effects of testosterone during puberty in males. The hypotheses to be tested include: 1) whether changes in responsiveness to testosterone are mediated by quantitative changes in nuclear retention of steroid in target neurons or differential intraneuronal steroid metabolism; 2) whether the site of action of testosterone negative feedback on gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion is at the level of neuronal cell bodies or terminals; and 3) whether endocrine and behavioral effects of testosterone are mediated by separate populations of steroid receptive neurons. The experiments employ steroid autoradiography, tract-tracing, immunocytochemistry, and combinations of these techniques.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Modified Research Career Development Award (K04)
Project #
5K04HD000950-04
Application #
2194418
Study Section
Biochemical Endocrinology Study Section (BCE)
Project Start
1991-04-01
Project End
1996-03-31
Budget Start
1994-04-01
Budget End
1995-03-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Michigan State University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Osteopathy
DUNS #
193247145
City
East Lansing
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48824

  Publications

Meek, L R; Romeo, R D; Novak, C M et al. (1997) Actions of testosterone in prepubertal and postpubertal male hamsters: dissociation of effects on reproductive behavior and brain androgen receptor immunoreactivity. Horm Behav 31:75-88
Tang, Y P; Kashon, M L; Sisk, C L (1997) Brain region-specific regulation of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone messenger ribonucleic acid in the male ferret: interactions between pubertal maturation and testosterone. Endocrinology 138:4740-7
Kashon, M L; Hayes, M J; Shek, P P et al. (1995) Regulation of brain androgen receptor immunoreactivity by androgen in prepubertal male ferrets. Biol Reprod 52:1198-205
Sisk, C L; DonCarlos, L L (1995) Estrogen receptor immunoreactivity in ferret brain is regulated by estradiol in a region-specific manner. Brain Res 688:198-202
Kashon, M L; Sisk, C L (1995) Photoperiod times ontogeny of androgen receptor-immunoreactive cells in ferrets. Neuroreport 6:337-41
Kashon, M L; Sisk, C L (1994) Pubertal maturation is associated with an increase in the number of androgen receptor-immunoreactive cells in the brains of male ferrets. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 78:237-42
Wagner, C K; Sisk, C L; Clemens, L G (1993) Neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus that project to the sexually dimorphic lower lumbar spinal cord concentrate 3H-estradiol in the male rat. J Neuroendocrinol 5:545-51
Sisk, C L; Berglund, L A; Tang, Y P et al. (1992) Photoperiod modulates pubertal shifts in behavioral responsiveness to testosterone. J Biol Rhythms 7:329-39
Tang, Y P; Sisk, C L (1992) LHRH in the ferret: pubertal decrease in the number of immunopositive arcuate neurons. Peptides 13:241-7
Babura, L L; Sisk, C L; Nunez, A A (1992) Photoperiodic regulation of prolactin release in male hamsters with hypothalamic knife cuts. Brain Res Bull 29:231-7