Effect of chronic estradiol treatment on dopamine concentrations in discrete brain nuclei of hypophysectomized female rats.
We investigated the effect of chronic estradiol treatment on dopamine concentrations in 14 discrete brain nuclei of hypophysectomized rats. Estrogen treatment reduced dopamine concentrations in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic systems of hypophysectomized and ovariectomized rats compared to hypophysectomized controls while the opposite was observed in tuberoinfundibular nuclei. However, hypophysectomized rats had significantly higher dopamine concentrations compared to ovariectomized animals is nigrostriatal and mesolimbic nuclei while lower levels were found in tuberoinfundibular structures. Thus, estradiol treatment has an effect on brain dopamine concentrations independently of the pituitary. Furthermore, this steroid treatment corrects the effects produced by hypophysectomy on brain dopamine concentrations.
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002369:Castration; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects
D004958:Estradiol; D004298:Dopamine