TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of courtship on brain gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone and plasma steroid concentrations in a female amphibian (Taricha granulosa)
AU - Propper, Catherine R.
AU - Moore, Frank L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by NIMH Predoctoral Fellowship Award l-F31-MH09656 and a Zoology Research Fund Award (C.R.P.) and by NIH Grant ROl HD13508 (E.L.M.). Scott McDonald and Dr. Sunny Boyd provided technical assistance. We thank Drs. A. Blaustein, S. Fryer, R. E. Jones, J. Lub-chenco, D. 0. Norris, and C. Schreck for their helpful comments on the manuscript.
PY - 1991/2
Y1 - 1991/2
N2 - Courtship-induced changes in plasma steroid and brain gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) concentrations in Taricha granulosa were determined with respect to changes in female sexual receptivity. Females were sacrificed at several times after courtship initiation. Concentrations of GnRH (determined by RIA) in the anterior telencephalon were high at courtship initiation (females unreceptive), but decreased by sperm transfer (females receptive). Courtship had no affect on GnRH concentrations in any other brain region examined. Furthermore, courted, receptive females had higher plasma levels of estradiol than did uncourted controls, and estradiol levels remained elevated above control levels 24 hr after courtship initiation. Courtship had no influence on plasma progesterone or corticosterone levels. To determine if the observed changes in GnRH concentrations in the telencephalon were localized to the nervus terminalis, courted females and controls were sacrificed after 5, 20, or 60 min of courtship. Nervus terminalis GnRH concentrations were higher in courted females than in uncourted controls. These results may represent the first documentation of a naturally occurring physiological change in the nervus terminalis.
AB - Courtship-induced changes in plasma steroid and brain gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) concentrations in Taricha granulosa were determined with respect to changes in female sexual receptivity. Females were sacrificed at several times after courtship initiation. Concentrations of GnRH (determined by RIA) in the anterior telencephalon were high at courtship initiation (females unreceptive), but decreased by sperm transfer (females receptive). Courtship had no affect on GnRH concentrations in any other brain region examined. Furthermore, courted, receptive females had higher plasma levels of estradiol than did uncourted controls, and estradiol levels remained elevated above control levels 24 hr after courtship initiation. Courtship had no influence on plasma progesterone or corticosterone levels. To determine if the observed changes in GnRH concentrations in the telencephalon were localized to the nervus terminalis, courted females and controls were sacrificed after 5, 20, or 60 min of courtship. Nervus terminalis GnRH concentrations were higher in courted females than in uncourted controls. These results may represent the first documentation of a naturally occurring physiological change in the nervus terminalis.
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U2 - 10.1016/0016-6480(91)90015-X
DO - 10.1016/0016-6480(91)90015-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 2019403
AN - SCOPUS:0026079001
SN - 0016-6480
VL - 81
SP - 304
EP - 312
JO - General and Comparative Endocrinology
JF - General and Comparative Endocrinology
IS - 2
ER -