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Front Zool

Title:		Copulation or sensory cues from the female augment Fos expression in arginine vasopressin neurons of the posterodorsal medial amygdala of male rats
Author(s):		Hari Dass SA; Vyas A;
Address:		"School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Nanyang 637551, Republic of Singapore"
Journal Title:		Front Zool
Year:		2014
Volume:		20140602
Issue:
Page Number:		42 -
DOI:		10.1186/1742-9994-11-42
ISSN/ISBN:		1742-9994 (Print) 1742-9994 (Electronic) 1742-9994 (Linking)
Abstract:		"BACKGROUND: The posterodorsal part of the medial amygdala is essential for processing reproductively salient sensory information in rodents. This is the initial brain structure where information from olfactory system and male hormones intersect. The neurochemical identity of the neurons participating in the sensory processing in medial amygdala remains presently undetermined. Many neurons in this brain structure express arginine vasopressin in a testosterone-dependent manner, suggesting that this neuropeptide is maintained by the androgenic milieu. METHOD: Here we use Fos, a protein expressed by recently active neurons, to quantify activation of arginine vasopressin neurons after exposure to odor from physically inaccessible female. We compare it to mating with accessible female and to reproductively innocuous odor. RESULTS: We show that inaccessible female activate arginine vasopressin neurons in the male posterodorsal medial amygdala. The magnitude of activation is not further enhanced when physical access with resultant mating is granted, even though it remains undetermined if same population of AVP neurons is activated by both inaccessible female and copulation. We also show that arginine vasopressin activation cannot be fully accounted for by mere increase in the number of Fos and AVP neurons. CONCLUSION: These observations posit a role for the medial amygdala arginine vasopressin in reproductive behaviors, suggesting that these neurons serve as integrative node between the hormonal status of the animal and the availability of reproductive opportunities"
Keywords:		Affiliation Mating Neuropeptide Nonapeptide Pheromone Sexual behavior Social behavior Testosterone Vasotocin;
Notes:		"PubMed-not-MEDLINEHari Dass, Shantala Arundathi Vyas, Ajai eng England 2014/06/14 Front Zool. 2014 Jun 2; 11:42. doi: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-42. eCollection 2014"