Poster (Scientific congresses and symposiums)
Preoptic glutamate and estradiol release during male sexual behavior
de Bournonville, Catherine; de Bournonville, Marie-Pierre; Aourz, Najat et al.
2016Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
 

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Keywords :
Aromatase; neuroestrogens; Japanese Quail
Abstract :
[en] Beside its long-term control by steroids, male sexual behavior is also modulated by neuroestrogens in a dynamic way (within minutes) in a number of species ranging from fishes to mammals. Studies in male Japanese quail have also identified following exposure to a receptive female a rapid decrease in the activity of brain aromatase (AA) the enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens into estrogens. These effects occur mainly within the medial preoptic nucleus (POM), a sexually dimorphic structure of the preoptic area that plays a key role in the activation of male sexual behavior and contains the highest AA in the brain. In vitro studies demonstrated that AA can be rapidly inhibited by calcium-dependent phosphorylations of the enzyme triggered by the activation of AMPA and kainate receptors. We confirmed here this rapid effect of glutamate on AA by injecting kainate in the POM of anesthetized males and measuring AA in the tissue after brain collection. AA in POM was inhibited in the kainate-injected hemisphere compared to the control hemisphere injected with vehicle. In a second experiment, we showed by in vivo microdialysis that glutamate is released in POM during copulation. These results thus suggest that glutamate controls dynamic changes of AA that occur in the brain during sexual interactions. To confirm that the decrease in AA leads to an actual reduction of local estradiol concentration, we quantified via microdialysis and radioimmunoassay changes in estradiol concentration in the male POM during sexual interactions with a female. Surprisingly, a dramatic elevation of estradiol was observed during copulation. Estradiol has been shown to enhance acutely male sexual motivation, therefore the function of its increase in the POM could be to maintain motivation during the entire sexual encounter. The decrease of AA observed ex vivo after copulation would then reflect a compensatory mechanism to restore baseline pre-copulatory conditions. Importantly, these results highlight that although long-term changes in AA are often used as a proxy for local estradiol concentrations, these two measures can show major short-term discrepancies possibly reflecting variations in estrogen turnover.
Research center :
Giga-Neurosciences - ULiège
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
de Bournonville, Catherine ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Doct. sc. bioméd. & pharma. (Bologne)
de Bournonville, Marie-Pierre ;  Université de Liège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques
Aourz, Najat;  Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB > Ctr. For Neurosciences
Van Eeckhaut, Ann;  Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB > Ctr. For Neurosciences
Smolders, Ilse;  Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB > Ctr. For Neurosciences
Ball, Gregory F.;  University of Maryland at Baltimore - UMB > Department of Psychology
Balthazart, Jacques  ;  Université de Liège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques
Cornil, Charlotte  ;  Université de Liège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Language :
English
Title :
Preoptic glutamate and estradiol release during male sexual behavior
Publication date :
November 2016
Number of pages :
1.8x1.2m
Event name :
Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
Event organizer :
Society for Neuroscience
Event place :
San Diego, United States
Event date :
12-16 novembre 2016
Audience :
International
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health [US-MD]
Available on ORBi :
since 06 June 2016

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