Facilitation of lordosis behavior in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats by medial preoptic implantation of 5 beta, 3 beta, pregnanolone: a ring A reduced progesterone metabolite.
The effect on lordosis behavior of progesterone (P) and some of its ring A reduced metabolites (5 beta pregnane 3 alpha ol 20 one, 5 beta pregnane 3 beta ol 20 one and 5 alpha pregnanes 3 beta ol 20 one) was studied in estrogen primed overiectomized rats by unilaterally implanting them in two brain areas related to the control of lordosis behavior: the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and the medial preoptic area (mPOA). Of the four pregnanes studied only 5 beta 3 beta pregnanolone consistently induced lordosis behavior when implanted into the mPOA. The present results show that some 5 beta reduced P metabolites can facilitate with a short latency the display of lordosis behavior, probably by depressing the activity of telencephalic neurons inhibitory to sexual behavior.
D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000187:drug effects*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011187:Posture; D011278:Pregnanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D011278:Pregnanes; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011280:Pregnanolone