title: Reproductive experience increases striatal and hypothalamic dopamine levels in pregnant rats.
abstract: The effects of parity on the dopaminergic function of rats were studied. Striatal and hypothalamic levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) as well as serum prolactin (PRL) levels of 7-days primigravid and multigravid rats were compared. Brains and trunk blood were collected from 1200-1400 h on day 7 of pregnancy and assayed for monoamines and their metabolites, and prolactin, respectively. Multigravid rats showed a significant increase in striatal and hypothalamic dopamine levels. A tendency to increase in striatal DOPAC levels was also observed in multigravid rats. Levels of other neuro-transmitters and metabolites were not statistically different. Haloperidol (1 mg/kg) treatment induced a significant increase in multigravid 5-HT striatal levels. There was no statistical difference among primigravid and multigravid serum PRL levels after either saline or haloperidol treatment. These data suggest that prior parity produces a shift in dopaminergic activity in multigravid rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Felicio
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sider
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Cruz-Casallas
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bridges
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D011388:Prolactin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid