Sakamoto H, Kawata M
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
J Neuroendocrinol. 2009 Mar;21(4):432-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2009.01847.x.
The lumbar spinal cord contains local neural circuits that are important in regulating male sexual behaviours, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these systems remain elusive. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is a member of the bombesin-like peptide family first isolated from the porcine stomach. Despite extensive pharmacological studies on the activity of bombesin-like peptides administered to mammals, little is known about the physiological functions of GRP in the spinal cord. We review recent findings on a system of neurones in the upper lumbar spinal cord, within the recently reported ejaculation generator, projecting axons containing GRP to the lower lumbar spinal cord and innervating regions known to control erection and ejaculation.
腰段脊髓包含对调节雄性性行为很重要的局部神经回路，但其潜在的分子机制仍不清楚。胃泌素释放肽（GRP）是最初从猪胃中分离出的蛙皮素样肽家族的成员。尽管对给予哺乳动物的蛙皮素样肽的活性进行了广泛的药理学研究，但关于GRP在脊髓中的生理功能却知之甚少。我们回顾了最近关于上腰段脊髓神经元系统的研究发现，该系统位于最近报道的射精发生器内，将含有GRP的轴突投射到下腰段脊髓，并支配已知控制勃起和射精的区域。
