title: Sexual experience influences mating-induced activity in nitric oxide synthase-containing neurons in the medial preoptic area.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) acts in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) of the hypothalamus to facilitate the expression of male sexual behavior and has also been widely implicated in mechanisms of experience, learning, and memory. Using immunohistochemistry for Fos, as a marker for neural activity, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme that catalyzes the production of nitric oxide (NO), we examined whether sexual activity and sexual experience influence Fos co-expression in NOS-containing neurons in the mPOA of male rats. Consistent with previous findings, results indicate that mating increased activity in the mPOA, and that sexual experience facilitated the expression of sexual behaviors, together with increased mating-induced Fos and NOS in the mPOA. Results also indicate that mating increased co-expression of Fos in NOS-containing neurons, and that this increase was highest in animals undergoing their first sexual encounter, indicating that initial sexual experience increases NO production in the mPOA of male rats.
authors: Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
authors: Victoria L
authors: VL
authors: Nutsch
authors: Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
authors: Ryan G
authors: RG
authors: Will
authors: Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Hattori
authors: Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Tobiansky
authors: Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States. Electronic address: dominguez@utexas.edu.
authors: Juan M
authors: JM
authors: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase
keywords: Copulation; Fos; Glutamate; Nitric oxide; Preoptic area; Sexual experience