Prolonged androgen deprivation may influence the autoregulation of estrogen receptors in the brain and pelvic floor muscles of male rats.
Androgen deprivation in males has detrimental effects on various tissues and bodily functions, some of which can be restored by estradiol (E2) administration. We investigated how the duration of androgen deprivation affects the autoregulation of estrogen receptors (ERs) levels in core brain areas associated with sexual behavior and cognition, as well as in pelvic floor muscles (PFM). We also measured c-Fos levels in brain areas associated with sexual behavior shortly after the rats mated. Prolonged castration increases ERα levels in the preoptic area (POA) and E2 treatment reverses these effects. In the POA, c-Fos levels after mating are not affected by the duration of androgen deprivation and/or E2 treatment. ERβ levels in the POA as well as c-Fos levels in the POA and the core area of nucleus accumbens correlate with the mounting frequency for E2-treated Short-Term castrates. Additionally, ERβ levels in the medial amygdala are positively correlated with the mounting frequency of Long-Term castrates that received E2 treatment. In the hippocampus, ERs are downregulated only when E2 is administered early after castration, whereas downregulation of ERα in the prefrontal cortex only occurs with delayed E2 treatment. Early, but not delayed, E2 treatment after castration increases ERβ levels in the bulbocavernosus and ERα levels in the levator ani of male rats. Our data suggest that the duration of androgen deprivation may influence the autoregulation of ERs by E2 treatment in select brain areas and pelvic floor muscles of male rats.
Department of Medical Neuroscience, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, 2775 Laurel St., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada. Electronic address: erik.wibowo@vch.ca.
Erik
E
Wibowo
Department of Medical Neuroscience, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada. Electronic address: hannah.calich@gmail.com.
Hannah J
HJ
Calich
Department of Medical Neuroscience, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada. Electronic address: R.William.Currie@dal.ca.
R William
RW
Currie
Department of Medical Neuroscience, 5850 College Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Urologic Sciences, Gordon & Leslie Diamond Care Centre, 2775 Laurel St., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Electronic address: richard.wassersug@ubc.ca.
Richard J
RJ
Wassersug
D000728:Androgens / Q000172:deficiency*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002369:Castration; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006706:Homeostasis; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D004958:Estradiol
Autoregulation; Brain; Cognition; Estrogen receptors; Pelvic floor muscles; Sexual behavior