Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Departments of Biology and Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA.
J Neuroendocrinol. 1992 Oct;4(5):541-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.1992.tb00202.x.
Syrian hamsters exhibit a form of scent marking behavior called flank marking. Flank marking, which is elicited during social contact with other hamsters and by the odors of other hamsters, communicates socially important information such as mate choice and dominance status. Vasopressinergic activity within the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPOA-AH) is essential for the expression of flank marking. In female hamsters, an inverse relationship exists between the expression of flank marking and sexual receptivity during the 4-day estrous cycle. Since norepinephrine (NE) appears to facilitate sexual receptivity, the present study investigated whether NE might have an inhibitory effect on flank marking by acting on Vasopressinergic activity within the MPOA-AH. Microinjection of 9.0 μM arginine vasopressin (AVP) into the MPOA-AH stimulated high levels of flank marking. Microinjection of 9.0 μM AVP combined with NE in concentrations of 4.0, 0.4 or 0.2 nM, drastically reduced or eliminated flank marking. In contrast, AVP in combination with 0.09, 0.04 or 0.004 nM NE produced no significant reductions in flank marking. In addition, microinjection of 9.0 μM AVP, in combination with epinephrine (4.0 nM), but not dopamine (4.0 nM), serotonin (4.0 nM) or neuropeptide Y (900 μM), significantly reduced AVP-induced flank marking. In male hamsters, microinjection of NE (4.0 nM) combined with AVP (9.0 μM) into the MPOA-AH was not found to inhibit AVP-stimulated flank marking. These results suggest that NE is involved in regulating the expression of flank marking during the estrous cycle by acting on Vasopressinergic activity within the MPOA-AH.
叙利亚仓鼠表现出一种称为侧线标记的气味标记行为。侧线标记是在与其他仓鼠的社交接触中以及其他仓鼠的气味刺激下产生的，它传递着诸如配偶选择和支配地位等社交重要信息。内侧视前区-下丘脑前区（MPOA-AH）中的血管加压素能活动对于侧线标记的表达是必不可少的。在雌性仓鼠中，在 4 天的动情周期中，侧线标记的表达与性接受能力之间存在反比关系。由于去甲肾上腺素（NE）似乎促进了性接受能力，因此本研究调查了 NE 是否通过作用于 MPOA-AH 内的血管加压素能活动对侧线标记产生抑制作用。将 9.0 μM 精氨酸血管加压素（AVP）微注射到 MPOA-AH 中会刺激高水平的侧线标记。将 9.0 μM AVP 与浓度为 4.0、0.4 或 0.2 nM 的 NE 一起微注射，大大减少或消除了侧线标记。相比之下，AVP 与 0.09、0.04 或 0.004 nM 的 NE 结合不会导致侧线标记显著减少。此外，将 9.0 μM AVP 与肾上腺素（4.0 nM）一起微注射，但不是多巴胺（4.0 nM）、血清素（4.0 nM）或神经肽 Y（900 μM）一起微注射，显著减少了 AVP 诱导的侧线标记。在雄性仓鼠中，将 NE（4.0 nM）与 AVP（9.0 μM）一起微注射到 MPOA-AH 中并未发现抑制 AVP 刺激的侧线标记。这些结果表明，NE 通过作用于 MPOA-AH 内的血管加压素能活动参与调节动情周期中侧线标记的表达。
