Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, 1340 Jefferson Park Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011 Jan;35(3):826-47. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.003. Epub 2010 Oct 16.
The medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus regulates maternal behavior, male sexual behavior, and female sexual behavior. Functional neuroanatomical evidence indicates that the appetitive aspects of maternal behavior are regulated through MPOA interactions with the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system; a major focus of this review is to explore whether or not the MPOA participates in the appetitive aspects of sexual behavior via its interaction with the mesolimbic DA system. A second focus of this review is to examine the extent to which estradiol interactions with DA within this circuit regulate all three reproductive behaviors. One mechanism through which estradiol activates male sexual behavior is through the potentiation of DA activity in the MPOA. In the hypothalamus, estradiol has also been found to act in concert with DA, through the activation of similar intracellular signaling pathways, in order to stimulate female sexual behavior. Finally, recent evidence suggests that some effects of estradiol are mediated by direct action of estradiol on the mesolimbic DA system.
下丘脑的内侧视前区（MPOA）调节母性行为、雄性性行为和雌性性行为。功能神经解剖学证据表明，母性行为的欲望方面是通过 MPOA 与中脑边缘多巴胺（DA）系统的相互作用来调节的；本篇综述的主要重点是探讨 MPOA 是否通过与中脑边缘 DA 系统的相互作用参与到了性行为的欲望方面。本篇综述的第二个重点是研究雌激素与该回路内的 DA 的相互作用在多大程度上调节了这三种生殖行为。雌激素通过增强 MPOA 中的 DA 活性来激活雄性性行为的一种机制。在大脑下丘脑，还发现雌激素通过激活相似的细胞内信号通路与 DA 协同作用，以刺激雌性性行为。最后，最近的证据表明，雌激素的一些作用是通过雌激素对中脑边缘 DA 系统的直接作用来介导的。
