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DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-39060
Testosterone and Sexual Experience Alter Levels of Plasma Membrane Binding Sites for Progesterone in the Male Rat Brain
Publication History
Received 2 July 2002
Accepted after revision 16 October 2002
Publication Date:
07 May 2003 (online)
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Abstract
Physiological levels of progesterone act in conjunction with androgens to facilitate copulatory behavior in male rats, mice, and lizards. Radiolabeled progesterone conjugated to bovine serum albumin measured specific binding sites in membrane fractions from male rats that were gonadectomized and testosterone treated, or remained gonadally intact, to determine the role of gonadal steroids on mPR binding. To determine whether behavioral experience could alter binding levels, males either remained sexually naïve or became sexually experienced. In sexually naïve males, the highest levels of specific binding occurred in the dorsal portions of the medial preoptic area, with only moderate levels of binding in ventral portions of the medial preoptic area and the dorsal and ventral medial hypothalamus. However, conjugated progesterone binding in these brain regions did not change as a function of testosterone or behavioral manipulations. In contrast, the amygdala responded to behavioral experience with significantly (4-fold) increased binding in gonadectomized, T-treated males with sexual experience. These data indicate that the neuronal plasticity for membrane-associated progesterone binding is regionally specific, being regulated by sexual experience following the reinstatement of testosterone levels, thus suggesting a functional role for plasma membrane activity of progesterone in male rat reproduction.
Key words
Male Sexual Behavior - Membrane Progesterone Receptors - Amygdala - Medial Preoptic Area
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J. D. Caldwell, Ph. D.
Department of Biomedical Sciences
University of Illinois · College of Medicine at Rockford · 1601 Parkview Avenue · Rockford, IL 61107-1897
Email: jackc@uic.edu