The testosterone metabolite 3α-diol enhances female rat sexual motivation when infused in the nucleus accumbens shell.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to provide a quantitative assessment of female rat sexual behaviors after acute exposure to the A-ring reduced testosterone metabolite, androstanediol (3α-Diol), through the nucleus accumbens (NA) shell.


METHODS
Quantitative analyses of female rat sexual behaviors and assessment of protein levels for the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase isoform 67 (GAD67) and gephyrin, a protein that participates in the clustering of GABA-A receptors in postsynaptic cells, were accomplished.


METHODS
Female rats were ovariectomized and primed with estrogen and progesterone to induce sexual behaviors. Females received a 3α-Diol infusion via guided cannula that aimed to the NA shell five minutes prior to a sexual encounter with a stud male. The following parameters were videotaped and measured in a frame by frame analysis: lordosis quotient (LQ), Lordosis rating (LR), frequency and duration of proceptive behaviors (hopping/darting and ear wiggling). Levels of GAD67 and gephyrin were obtained by Western blot analysis two or twenty-four hours after the sexual encounter.


RESULTS
Acute exposure to 3α-Diol in the NA shell enhanced LR, ear wiggling, and hopping/darting but not LQ. Some of these behavioral effects were counteracted by co-infusion of 3α-Diol plus the GABAA-receptor antagonist GABAzine. A transient reduction of GAD67 levels in the NA shell was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
The testosterone metabolite 3α-Diol enhances sexual proceptivity, but not receptivity, when infused into the NA shell directly. The GABAergic system may participate in the androgen-mediated enhancement of female rat sexual motivation.
Sánchez Montoya
Eliana L
EL
Universidad Austral de Chile, Instituto de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias, Valdivia, Chile. esanchez@uach.cl
Hernández
Lizaida
L
Barreto-Estrada
Jennifer L
JL
Ortiz
José G
JG
Jorge
Juan Carlos
JC
D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008141:Lordosis; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D014743:Videotape Recording
D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; D013739:Testosterone; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase