Article (Scientific journals)
Rapid action on neuroplasticity precedes behavioral activation by testosterone.
Charlier, Thierry; Ball, Gregory F; Balthazart, Jacques
2008In Hormones and Behavior, 54 (4), p. 488-95
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Keywords :
Animals; Aromatase/metabolism; Behavior, Animal/drug effects/physiology; Brain/anatomy & histology/metabolism; Cloaca/anatomy & histology/drug effects; Coturnix/physiology; Female; Male; Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects/physiology; Nissl Bodies/metabolism; Orchiectomy; Organ Size/drug effects; Preoptic Area/anatomy & histology/drug effects/metabolism; Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effects; Testosterone/pharmacology
Abstract :
[en] Testosterone has been shown to increase the volume of steroid-sensitive brain nuclei in adulthood in several vertebrate species. In male Japanese quail the volume of the male-biased sexually dimorphic medial preoptic nucleus (POM), a key brain area for the control of male sexual behavior, is markedly increased by testosterone. Previous studies assessed this effect after a period of 8-14 days but the exact time course of these effects is unknown. We asked here whether testosterone-dependent POM plasticity could be observed at shorter latencies. Brains from castrated male quail were collected after 1, 2, 7 and 14 days of T treatment (CX+T) and compared to brains of untreated castrates (CX) collected after 1 or 14 days. POM volumes defined either by Nissl staining or by aromatase immunohistochemistry increased in a time-dependent fashion in CX+T subjects and almost doubled after 14 days of treatment with testosterone while no change was observed in CX birds. A significant increase in the average POM volume was detected after only one day of testosterone treatment. The optical density of Nissl and aromatase staining was also increased after one or two days of testosterone treatment. Activation of male copulatory behavior followed these morphological changes with a latency of approximately one day. This rapid neurochemical and neuroanatomical plasticity observed in the quail POM thus seems to limit the activation of male sexual behavior and offers an excellent model to analyze features of steroid-regulated brain structure and function that determine behavior expression.
Disciplines :
Zoology
Neurosciences & behavior
Endocrinology, metabolism & nutrition
Author, co-author :
Charlier, Thierry ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Ball, Gregory F
Balthazart, Jacques  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Language :
English
Title :
Rapid action on neuroplasticity precedes behavioral activation by testosterone.
Publication date :
2008
Journal title :
Hormones and Behavior
ISSN :
0018-506X
eISSN :
1095-6867
Publisher :
Academic Press, San Diego, United States - California
Volume :
54
Issue :
4
Pages :
488-95
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 14 April 2009

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