• Login
    View Item 
    •   UMB Digital Archive
    • School, Graduate
    • Theses and Dissertations All Schools
    • View Item
    •   UMB Digital Archive
    • School, Graduate
    • Theses and Dissertations All Schools
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of UMB Digital ArchiveCommunitiesPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    Display statistics

    Interactions of catecholamines and progesterone receptors in the medial amygdala enhance female sexual motivation

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    Conklin_umaryland_0373D_10228.pdf
    Size:
    31.95Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Author
    Conklin, Mary Holder
    Advisor
    Mong, Jessica Aurora
    Date
    2011
    Type
    dissertation
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    While the neurocircuitry and mechanisms controlling the copulatory behavior in female rats has been extensively characterized, the neurocircuitry and cellular and molecular mechanisms of sexual motivation remain elusive. Sexual motivation in the female rat is mediated by activation of the neural progesterone receptors. Dopamine, which mediates natural reward signaling, phosphorylates and activates progesterone receptors. The data presented here demonstrate a novel role for dopamine and progesterone receptor interactions in the medial amygdala on enhanced female sexual motivation. Using methamphetamine, which increases extracellular catecholamines such as dopamine and norepinephrine, we have shown an increase in sexual motivation and behavior in a progesterone dependent manner. This enhanced sexual motivation correlates with increased neuronal activation and neuroplasticity of the medial amygdala. We hypothesized that progesterone receptors in the medial amygdala mediate the enhancement of female sexual motivation. Both excitotoxic lesions targeted to the posterodorsal medial amygdala and antagonist of the progesterone receptor attenuated the methamphetamine-induced increase in proceptive behavior. Methamphetamine may participate in a reciprocal feed-forward mechanism with progesterone receptor, as (1) the administration of ovarian hormones increases tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of catecholamines and (2) methamphetamine increased progesterone receptor-immunoreactivity in the medial amygdala. Both dopamine and norepinephrine have been demonstrated to enhance female sexual behavior and activate and increase the expression of progesterone receptors. To test these candidate neurotransmitters, receptor subtype specific agonists and antagonists were administered to the medial amygdala. The activation of the D1 subtype of the dopamine receptors in the medial amygdala is both necessary for the methamphetamine-induced enhancements of proceptive behavior and sufficient to enhance sexual motivation. Moreover, D1R are necessary for the methamphetamine-increased progesterone receptors. These data indicate that methamphetamine, via dopamine, converges with progesterone in the medial amygdala to activate and alter the circuitry underlying motivation for sexual behavior. While infusions of the alpha 1 adrenoceptor antagonist into the medial amygdala attenuate the methamphetamine enhanced sexual motivation, alpha 1 agonist did not enhance the motivated behaviors. Taken together our data indicate catecholamines in the medial amygdala modulate enhanced sexual motivation through a potential amplification of progesterone signaling.
    Description
    University of Maryland in Baltimore. Neuroscience. Ph.D. 2011
    Keyword
    proceptive behavior
    sexual motivation
    Dopamine
    Methamphetamine
    Norepinephrine
    Identifier to cite or link to this item
    http://hdl.handle.net/10713/775
    Collections
    Theses and Dissertations School of Medicine
    Theses and Dissertations All Schools

    entitlement

     
    DSpace software (copyright © 2002 - 2022)  DuraSpace
    Quick Guide | Policies | Contact Us | UMB Health Sciences & Human Services Library
    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.