Induction of pseudopregnancy in the rat by electrochemical stimulation of the brain.
Electrochemical stimulation of the neocortex, VMH-arcuate hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, corticomedial amygdala, and dorsal hippocampus was performed under pentobarbital anesthesia to determine the brain regions involved in prolactin release as evidenced by pseudopregnancy. Stimulation occurred on the day of vaginal estrus, followed 4 days later by uterine traumatization. All animals were sacrificed 8 days after brain stimulation. Medial preoptic sitmulation resulted in an 83% incidence of pseudopregnancy while VMH-arcuate stimulation resulted in 43% incidence. Amygdaloid and hippocampal stimulation resulted in a lower incidence of pseudopregnancy (20 and 24%, respectively). Stimulation of the neocortex or sham stimulation of the five brain regions did not induce pseudopregnancy. These data indicate that the MPOA and VMH-arcuate hypothalamus are areas which may facilitate the release of prolactin necessary for the development of pseudopregnancy. The lower incidence of deciduomata formation resulting from electrochemical stimulation on the amygdala and hippocampus suggest that these areas have a minor effect on stimulating the induction of pseudopregnancy.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011555:Pseudopregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques
D011388:Prolactin