Injections of cholecystokinin into the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus inhibit lordosis behavior in the rat.
In the central nervous system, the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) is a primary locus for the induction of lordosis behavior by estrogen. Tissue levels of cholecystokinin and its binding sites in the VMH are modulated by estrogen, suggesting a role for cholecystokinin in the regulation of lordosis behavior. The effects of exogenous cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) were examined by injecting CCK-8 into the VMH and measuring the frequency of lordotic responses. CCK-8 inhibited the frequency of lordotic responses in a dose-related fashion when the control rats had lordosis quotients of 60 and above. This inhibition is in agreement with previously reported results after peripheral injection of CCK-8, and is consistent with the hypothesis that CCK-8 in the VMH in involved in the regulation of lordosis behavior in the estrogen-primed rat.
Babcock
A M
AM
Department of Anatomy, UCLA School of Medicine 90024.
Block
G J
GJ
Micevych
P E
PE
D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011187:Posture; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D004958:Estradiol; D012844:Sincalide