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Science 2 November 1990:
Vol. 250. no. 4981, pp. 691 - 694
DOI: 10.1126/science.2173139
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Articles

Science, Vol 250, Issue 4981, 691-694
Copyright © 1990 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Behavioral effects of progesterone associated with rapid modulation of oxytocin receptors

M Schumacher, H Coirini, DW Pfaff, and BS McEwen

Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.

The ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus (VMN) are important for the control of feminine mating behavior, and hormone action within these nuclei has been causally related to behavior. Estradiol induces receptors for oxytocin in the VMN and in the area lateral to these nuclei over the course of 1 to 2 days, and progesterone causes, within 30 minutes of its application, a further increase in receptor binding and an expansion of the area covered by these receptors lateral to the VMN. The rapid progesterone effect appears to be a direct and specific effect of this steroid on the receptor or membrane, because it was produced in vitro as well as in vivo and was not mimicked by a variety of other steroids. The effect of progesterone occurred in the posterior part of the VMN, where oxytocin infusion facilitated feminine mating behavior; it did not take place in the anterior part of the VMN, where oxytocin infusion had no effect on mating behavior.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Antagonism of Oxytocin Prevents Suckling- and Estradiol-Induced, But Not Progesterone-Induced, Secretion of Prolactin.
J. E. Kennett, M. O. Poletini, C. A. Fitch, and M. E. Freeman (2009)
Endocrinology 150, 2292-2299
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Relationship between gene expression and function of uterotonic systems in the rat during gestation, uterine activation and both term and preterm labour.
P. Arthur, M. J. Taggart, B. Zielnik, S. Wong, and B. F. Mitchell (2008)
J. Physiol. 586, 6063-6076
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Nonclassical Mechanisms of Progesterone Action in the Brain: I. Protein Kinase C Activation in the Hypothalamus of Female Rats.
B. Balasubramanian, W. Portillo, A. Reyna, J. Z. Chen, A. N. Moore, P. K. Dash, and S. K. Mani (2008)
Endocrinology 149, 5509-5517
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Nonclassical Mechanisms of Progesterone Action in the Brain: II. Role of Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II in Progesterone-Mediated Signaling in the Hypothalamus of Female Rats.
B. Balasubramanian, W. Portillo, A. Reyna, J. Z. Chen, A. N. Moore, P. K. Dash, and S. K. Mani (2008)
Endocrinology 149, 5518-5526
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Estradiol Enhances Cholecystokinin-Dependent Lipid-Induced Satiation and Activates Estrogen Receptor-{alpha}-Expressing Cells in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius of Ovariectomized Rats.
L. Asarian and N. Geary (2007)
Endocrinology 148, 5656-5666
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Sex and estrogenic effects on coexpression of mRNAs in single ventromedial hypothalamic neurons.
N. Devidze, J. A. Mong, A. M. Jasnow, L.-M. Kow, and D. W. Pfaff (2005)
PNAS 102, 14446-14451
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Effects of Partner Support on Resting Oxytocin, Cortisol, Norepinephrine, and Blood Pressure Before and After Warm Partner Contact.
K. M. Grewen, S. S. Girdler, J. Amico, and K. C. Light (2005)
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Dual ecdysteroid action on the epitracheal glands and central nervous system preceding ecdysis of Manduca sexta.
I. Zitnanova, M. E. Adams, and D. Zitnan (2002)
J. Exp. Biol. 204, 3483-3495
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CNS Region-Specific Oxytocin Receptor Expression: Importance in Regulation of Anxiety and Sex Behavior.
T. L. Bale, A. M. Davis, A. P. Auger, D. M. Dorsa, and M. M. McCarthy (2001)
J. Neurosci. 21, 2546-2552
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The Oxytocin Receptor System: Structure, Function, and Regulation.
G. Gimpl and F. Fahrenholz (2001)
Physiol Rev 81, 629-683
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Diurnal Fluctuations in Mating-Induced Oxytocinergic Activity within the Paraventricular and Supraoptic Nuclei Do Not Influence Prolactin Secretion.
E. K. Polston, K. M. Centorino, and M. S. Erskine (1998)
Endocrinology 139, 4849-4859
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Expression and Region-Specific Regulation of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene in Rat Brain.
C. Breton and H. H. Zingg (1997)
Endocrinology 138, 1857-1862
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Progesterone synthesis and myelin formation by Schwann cells.
H. Koenig, M Schumacher, B Ferzaz, A. Thi, A Ressouches, R Guennoun, I Jung-Testas, P Robel, Y Akwa, and E. Baulieu (1995)
Science 268, 1500-1503
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Rapid Effects of Aldosterone on Sodium Transport in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
M. Christ, K. Douwes, C. Eisen, G. Bechtner, K. Theisen, and M. Wehling (1995)
Hypertension 25, 117-123
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