Sex steroids and fos expression in the CNS of prepubertal and newborn rats
Abstract
Fos-like immunoreactivity (IR) within estrogen-concentrating regions of the hypothalamus and within sexually dimorphic regions of the hypothalamus and spinal cord was studied both as a function of estrogen treatment and during specific stages of postnatal development. Two sets of experiments were performed. First, Fos expression in the arcuate (Arc) and ventromedial (VMN) nuclei of the hypothalamus of 25-day-old female rats was examined 1, 3, and 6 h after estrogen treatment. Since (1) estrogen has been shown to stimulate synapse formation in the Arc of 25-day-old female rats, and (2) the Arc and VMN express among the highest levels of estrogen receptor in brain, we hypothesized that estrogen treatment might lead to a rapid induction of Fos-like IR in these areas. Second, Fos expression in the brain and spinal cord of newborn and 10-day-old male and female rats was examined and compared. Particular attention was given to specific sexually dimorphic nuclei of the hypothalamus and spinal cord and to regions of the mediobasal hypothalamus known to contain high levels of gonadal steroid receptors. Since many studies have shown that neuronal development within sexually dimorphic areas of the hypothalamus and spinal cord is influence...Continue Reading
References
Hormonal control of sexual behavior in the female rat: molecular, cellular and neurochemical studies
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