specific activation of estrogen receptor alpha and beta enhances male sexual behavior and neuroplasticity in male japanese quail具体激活雌激素受体α和β增强男性性行为和神经可塑性在雄性日本鹌鹑.pdf

Specific Activation of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Beta Enhances Male Sexual Behavior and Neuroplasticity in Male Japanese Quail 1 2 1 1 Aurore L. Seredynski , Gregory F. Ball , Jacques Balthazart , Thierry D. Charlier * ` ` 1 Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium, 2 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America Abstract Two subtypes of estrogen receptors (ER), ERa and ERb, have been identified in humans and numerous vertebrates, including the Japanese quail. We investigated in this species the specific role(s) of each receptor in the activation of male sexual behavior and the underlying estrogen-dependent neural plasticity. Castrated male Japanese quail received empty (CX) or testosterone-filled (T) implants or were daily injected with the ER general agonist diethylstilbestrol (DES), the ERa-specific agonist PPT, the ERb-specific agonist DPN or the vehicle, propylene glycol. Three days after receiving the first treatment, subjects were alternatively tested for appetitive (rhythmic cloacal sphincter movements, RCSM) and consummatory aspects (copulatory behavior) of male sexual behavior. 24 hours after the last behavioral testing, brains were collected and analyzed for aromatase expression and vasotocinergic innervation in the medial preoptic nucleus. The expression of RCSM was activated by T and to a lesser extent by DES and PPT but not by the ERbagonist DPN. In parallel, T fully restored the complete sequence of copulation, DES was partially active and the specific activation of ERa