Program in Molecular Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Department of Pharmacology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 3;7:39817. doi: 10.1038/srep39817.
Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychomotor stimulant strongly associated with increases in sexual drive and impulse in both men and women. These changes in sexual motivation have a greater impact on women due to their likelihood of facing the greater burden of unplanned pregnancies, as well as increased risk for psychiatric co-morbidities such as depression. We have previously established a rodent model of Meth-induced increases in sexual motivation. Using this model, we have identified the posteriodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) via excitotoxic lesion studies as a necessary nucleus in Meth-facilitated female sexual motivation. While lesion studies give us insight into key nuclei that may be targets of Meth action, such an approach does not give insight into the identity of the specific MePD neurons or neural circuitry involved in Meth-induced increases in proceptive behaviors. Using the DAUN02 inactivation method, a recently established technique for removing behaviorally relevant cell populations, we present evidence that the ovarian steroid/Meth responsive cells in the MePD are necessary for Meth-induced facilitation of proceptive behaviors. These findings form the basis for future work that will allow for the classification of neuronal subtypes involved in the MePD's modulation of proceptive behavior as well as a stronger understanding of the neurocircuitry of female sexual motivation.
甲基苯丙胺（冰毒）是一种强烈的精神兴奋剂，与男性和女性的性驱动和冲动增加密切相关。这些性动机的变化对女性的影响更大，因为她们更有可能面临意外怀孕的更大负担，以及增加患抑郁症等精神共病的风险。我们之前已经建立了一种冰毒诱导的性动机增加的啮齿动物模型。使用这种模型，我们通过兴奋性毒性损伤研究确定了后背内侧杏仁核（MePD）是促进冰毒促进女性性动机所必需的核团。虽然损伤研究使我们深入了解了可能是冰毒作用的关键核团，但这种方法并不能深入了解涉及冰毒诱导的求爱行为增加的特定 MePD 神经元或神经回路的身份。使用 DAUN02 失活方法，这是一种最近建立的用于去除行为相关细胞群体的技术，我们提供的证据表明，MePD 中的卵巢类固醇/冰毒反应性细胞是冰毒诱导求爱行为促进所必需的。这些发现为未来的工作奠定了基础，未来的工作将允许对涉及 MePD 调节求爱行为的神经元亚型进行分类，并更深入地了解女性性动机的神经回路。
