Molina Beatriz, González-Mariscal Gabriela, Camacho-Arroyo Ignacio
Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Researcher Emeritus, National System of Investigators, Mexico.
Horm Behav. 2025 Jul;173:105762. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105762. Epub 2025 May 21.
Sex hormones such as estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are crucial for vertebrate brain functions by interacting with their specific receptors. In rabbits, these hormones regulate sexual behavior, scent marking, nest building, and nipple searching across different brain regions. However, information on sex hormone receptors in the rabbit brain is limited. We examined intracellular progesterone (PR), estrogen (ER), and androgen receptors (AR) in the rabbit brain. PR activation by progesterone is associated with pregnancy and maternal behaviors like nest building and nipple searching. PR is expressed in female and male rabbits' cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, preoptic area, and hippocampus. In males, it is also found in the olfactory bulb, mesencephalon, and cerebellum. Rabbits express two ER subtypes, ERα and ERβ, with different expression patterns and functions. The former is in the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hippocampus, hypothalamus, preoptic area, septum, and thalamus of females. In males, ERα is expressed in the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, prefrontal cortex, preoptic area, mesencephalon, and cerebellum. Both ERs are located in male rabbits' amygdala, claustrum, and hippocampus. ERs influence estrous behavior and chinning. ERα has a role in rabbit hippocampus development and plasticity. AR is expressed in male rabbit hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, preoptic area, mesencephalon, and cerebellum, related to sexual behavior and chinning. Interestingly, sex hormones regulate their own receptor expression and those of other sex hormones. Thus, estradiol regulates PR expression. This review summarizes the expression and distribution of sex hormone receptors in the rabbit brain and their behavioral role.
雌二醇、孕酮和睾酮等性激素通过与特定受体相互作用，对脊椎动物的脑功能至关重要。在兔子中，这些激素通过不同脑区调节性行为、气味标记、筑巢和寻找乳头。然而，关于兔脑中性激素受体的信息有限。我们研究了兔脑中的细胞内孕酮（PR）、雌激素（ER）和雄激素受体（AR）。孕酮激活PR与怀孕以及筑巢和寻找乳头等母性行为有关。PR在雌性和雄性兔子的大脑皮层、下丘脑、视前区和海马体中表达。在雄性中，它也存在于嗅球、中脑和小脑中。兔子表达两种ER亚型，ERα和ERβ，具有不同的表达模式和功能。前者存在于雌性的杏仁核、终纹床核、海马体、下丘脑、视前区、隔区和丘脑。在雄性中，ERα在下丘脑、嗅球、前额叶皮层、视前区、中脑和小脑中表达。两种ER都位于雄性兔子的杏仁核、屏状核和海马体中。ER影响发情行为和蹭鼻行为。ERα在兔海马体发育和可塑性中起作用。AR在雄性兔下丘脑、嗅球、前额叶皮层、海马体、视前区、中脑和小脑中表达，与性行为和蹭鼻行为有关。有趣的是，性激素调节它们自身的受体表达以及其他性激素的受体表达。因此，雌二醇调节PR表达。本综述总结了兔脑中激素受体的表达、分布及其行为作用。
