title: Central effects of the anabolic steroid 17alpha methyltestosterone in female anxiety.
abstract: The androgen 17alpha-methyltestosterone (17alpha-meT) is one of the most commonly abused anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). We assessed the impact of 17alpha-meT after bilateral infusion into the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) in female anxiety. A paradoxical effect in Vogel conflict test (VCT) behavior was noted: while AAS infusion induced an increase in the latency to display the appetitive reaction of the task, it also increased the number of punished responses. No changes in elevated plus maze (EPM) behavior were noted. However, AAS infusion induced an increase in social interactions. Changes in social interactions were mimicked by muscimol infusion and counteracted by co-infusion of AAS plus the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) antagonist GABAzine. A reduction of systolic blood pressure was registered after AAS infusion in the DMH. No changes in fluid intake or locomotor behaviors were noted. We conclude that the AAS 17alpha-meT modulates distinct anxiety domains in females through a fast-acting mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Ponce School of Medicine, Rio Piedras Campus, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rivera-Arce
authors.forename: Lizannette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morales-Crespo
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vargas-Pinto
authors.forename: Kandy T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Velázquez
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jorge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004302:Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D011724:Pyridazines; D009118:Muscimol; C049853:gabazine; D008777:Methyltestosterone