title: A testosterone metabolite is rewarding to ovariectomized female rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.forename: Kandy T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Velázquez
authors.forename: Dinah Lee
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ramos-Ortolaza
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lorenzini
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marrero
authors.forename: Carmen S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Vlaar
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol