Baskerville Tracey A, Douglas Alison J
Centre for Integrative Physiology, SBMS, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, UK.
Prog Brain Res. 2008;170:277-90. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)00423-8.
Dopamine and oxytocin are two key neuromodulators involved in reproductive behaviours, such as mating and maternal care. Much evidence underlies their separate roles in such behaviours, but particularly in sexual behaviour. It is generally believed that central dopaminergic and oxytocinergic systems work together to regulate the expression of penile erection, but relatively little is known regarding how they interact. Thus, this review aims to discuss neuroanatomical proof, neuromodulator secretory profiles in the hypothalamus and behavioural pharmacological evidence which support a dopamine-oxytocin link in three hypothalamic nuclei that have been implicated in sexual behaviour, namely the medial preoptic nucleus, supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). We also aim to provide an overview of potential dopamine-mediated transduction pathways that occur within these nuclei and are correlated with the exhibition of penile erection. The PVN provides the most convincing evidence for a dopamine-oxytocin link and it is becoming increasingly apparent that parvocellular oxytocinergic neurons in the PVN, in part, mediate the effects of dopamine to elicit penile erection. However, while we show that oxytocin neurons express dopamine receptors, other evidence on whether dopaminergic activation of PVN oxytocin cells involves a direct and/or indirect mechanism is inconclusive and further evidence is required to establish whether the two systems interact synergistically or sequentially in the regulation of penile erection.
多巴胺和催产素是参与生殖行为（如交配和母性行为）的两种关键神经调质。有大量证据表明它们在这些行为中各自发挥作用，尤其是在性行为方面。人们普遍认为，中枢多巴胺能系统和催产素能系统共同作用来调节阴茎勃起的表达，但对于它们如何相互作用却知之甚少。因此，本综述旨在讨论神经解剖学证据、下丘脑神经调质分泌特征以及行为药理学证据，这些证据支持在与性行为相关的三个下丘脑核团（即视前内侧核、视上核和室旁核（PVN））中多巴胺与催产素之间的联系。我们还旨在概述这些核团内可能发生的、与阴茎勃起表现相关的多巴胺介导的转导途径。PVN为多巴胺 - 催产素联系提供了最有说服力的证据，并且越来越明显的是，PVN中的小细胞催产素能神经元部分介导了多巴胺引发阴茎勃起的作用。然而，虽然我们表明催产素神经元表达多巴胺受体，但关于PVN催产素细胞的多巴胺能激活是涉及直接和/或间接机制的其他证据尚无定论，还需要进一步的证据来确定这两个系统在调节阴茎勃起时是协同还是依次相互作用。
