TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual differentiation modifies the allopregnanolone anxiolytic actions in rats
AU - Fernández-Guasti, A.
AU - Picazo, O.
N1 - Funding Information:
Authors wish to thank Vı́ctor Flores Montoya for animal caring, Facundo Moreno for technical assistance and the ‘Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologı́a (CONACyT)’ for partially supporting the present study (grant no. 2338P).
PY - 1999/4
Y1 - 1999/4
N2 - The administration of progesterone (0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/rat, SC) and allopregnanolone (5α, 3α dihydroprogesterone) (0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/rat, SC) to both, males and females, produced a similar reduction in burying behavior. Only allopregnanolone showed a gender-dependent effect on burying behavior latency. Allopregnanolone actions were established in five groups of animals according to their neonatal hormonal manipulation: intact males and females, neonatally-testosterone propionate-treated female rats (TP, 30 and 120 μg/rat, SC at day 5) and neonatally (4-12 h after delivery) castrated males. Males and females showed a reduction in anxiety after treatment with allopregnanolone. Both neonatally-androgenized-females and -castrated males were completely insensitive to allopregnanolone anxiolytic action tested in both burying behavior and plus-maze paradigm. The virilizing action of neonatally administered TP was demonstrated by dose-dependent delayed vaginal opening, a persistent estrus in their vaginal smears and the presence of polifollicular ovaries. Results are discussed on the bases of the differences and similarities between males, females, androgenized females and neonatally castrated males to anxiolytic steroids and the underlying possible processes.
AB - The administration of progesterone (0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/rat, SC) and allopregnanolone (5α, 3α dihydroprogesterone) (0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/rat, SC) to both, males and females, produced a similar reduction in burying behavior. Only allopregnanolone showed a gender-dependent effect on burying behavior latency. Allopregnanolone actions were established in five groups of animals according to their neonatal hormonal manipulation: intact males and females, neonatally-testosterone propionate-treated female rats (TP, 30 and 120 μg/rat, SC at day 5) and neonatally (4-12 h after delivery) castrated males. Males and females showed a reduction in anxiety after treatment with allopregnanolone. Both neonatally-androgenized-females and -castrated males were completely insensitive to allopregnanolone anxiolytic action tested in both burying behavior and plus-maze paradigm. The virilizing action of neonatally administered TP was demonstrated by dose-dependent delayed vaginal opening, a persistent estrus in their vaginal smears and the presence of polifollicular ovaries. Results are discussed on the bases of the differences and similarities between males, females, androgenized females and neonatally castrated males to anxiolytic steroids and the underlying possible processes.
KW - Allopregnanolone
KW - Anxiety
KW - Burying behavior
KW - Gender
KW - Neurosteroids
KW - Plus-maze
KW - Rats
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0345003725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00048-1
DO - 10.1016/S0306-4530(98)00048-1
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 24
SP - 251
EP - 267
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
IS - 3
ER -