A testosterone metabolite is rewarding to ovariectomized female rats.
Anabolic androgenic steroids have become a major class of drugs of abuse among a growing population of male and female adolescents. Although the rewarding and reinforcing properties of androgens have been demonstrated in male rodents, it is unknown whether these properties are apparent in female rats. In this study, conditioned place preference and self-administration paradigms showed that the endogenous androgen metabolite 3alphaDIOL is rewarding and reinforcing in ovariectomized female rats. Because 3alphaDIOL can be synthesized de novo in the brain, it is hypothesized that this neurosteroid provides a permissive neurochemical environment that modulates reward processes.
Jorge
Juan Carlos
JC
Department of Anatomy, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.
Velázquez
Kandy T
KT
Ramos-Ortolaza
Dinah Lee
DL
Lorenzini
Ileana
I
Marrero
Jessica
J
Maldonado-Vlaar
Carmen S
CS
D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol