Dopamine-stimulated sexual behavior is testosterone dependent in mice.
Mice unable to synthesize dopamine (DA) in dopaminergic neurons were generated by gene-targeting techniques (Q.-Y. Zhou & R. D. Palmiter, 1995). These dopamine-deficient (DA-/-) mice required daily administration of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) for survival beyond 2 to 3 weeks of age. This treatment stimulated mounting and aggressive behavior of adult DA-/- males toward both male and female mice. Both a nonspecific DA agonist (apomorphine) and a specific D1 agonist (SKF81297) stimulated aggression and mounting behavior; however, a D2 agonist (quinpirole) was less effective. Castration of male DA-/- mice demonstrated that these L-DOPA-stimulated behaviors depend on testosterone. In addition, replacement of testosterone to castrated males showed that the testosterone-responsive pathways of DA-/- males were more sensitive to testosterone than wild-type mice.
Szczypka
M S
MS
Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7370, USA.
Zhou
Q Y
QY
Palmiter
R D
RD
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002369:Castration; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000172:deficiency; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D019257:Quinpirole / Q000494:pharmacology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*
D001552:Benzazepines; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D019257:Quinpirole; D013739:Testosterone; D007980:Levodopa; C067113:SK&F 81297; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine