Binding of [3H]estradiol by brain cell nuclei and female rat sexual behavior: inhibition by experimental diabetes.
In streptozotocin-diabetic female rats acute (24 h) withdrawal of insulin significantly impairs both estradiol + progesterone-induced sexual receptivity and cell nuclear concentration of [3H]estradiol in hypothalamus, preoptic area, and pituitary gland. Omission of insulin treatment for the first 24 h of a 30-h or 54-h estradiol benzoate-conditioning period significantly reduced mean lordosis ratings of ovariectomized-diabetic rats. Insulin withdrawal at the time of progesterone treatment and behavioral testing did not diminish sexual receptivity. One-half or 2 h after an intravenous injection of [3H]estradiol-17beta diabetic rats without insulin exhibited reduced cell nuclear [3H]estradiol concentrations (2 h) and/or diminished cell nuclear/whole homogenate concentration ratios (0.5 and 2 h). Twenty-four hour insulin withdrawal affected neither whole tissue [3H]estradiol uptake nor hypothalamus-preoptic area cytoplasmic estrogen-receptor content. These results: (1) suggest that diminished estradiol binding by target tissue cell nuclei may contribute to the well-known reproductive failures of female diabetics, and (2) support the concept that estradiol acts at the level of brain cell nuclei to induce female sexual behavior.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002369:Castration; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D007328:Insulin; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol