title: Sex differences in the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acidergic neurons in the rat hypothalamus.
abstract: The rate of GABA turnover was determined in nine microdissected brain regions in adult male and female rats. In the medial preoptic nucleus (central aspect) and ventromedial nucleus (ventrolateral aspect) of the hypothalamus, areas involved in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion and sex behavior, GABAergic neuronal activity was about 2-fold greater in males than females. These results demonstrate a striking sexual dimorphism in the activity of specific populations of hypothalamic GABAergic neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201-1559, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Grattan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selmanoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004031:Diestrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid