L-dopa reverses castration-induced disruption of dishabituation responses to female chemical cues in male rats.
In the present experiment, habituation/dishabituation behavioral tests were conducted to measure discriminatory olfactory recognition responses to chemical cues among control, castrated, and castrated+L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)-treated male rats. Castration produced a disruption of dishabituation responses to female urine, and this effect was reversed by treatment with L-DOPA. In the posterior olfactory bulb, 3,4-dihydroxyphenlacetic acid (DOPAC) levels were significantly increased in L-DOPA-treated animals compared with the vehicle-treated control and castrated groups. No significant differences in olfactory bulb norepinephrine or dopamine concentrations among the three treatment groups were obtained. The restoration of behavioral dishabituation responses following L-DOPA treatment suggests that the catecholaminergic system of the olfactory bulb may play a critical role in the recognition and possibly attractions for or preferences to female chemical cues.
Guan
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Department of Anatomy, Northeastern Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, Rootstown 44272.
Dluzen
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D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009919:Orchiectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014556:Urine / Q000502:physiology
D002395:Catecholamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D007980:Levodopa