Neuroanatomical localization of endocrine control of reproductive behavior in the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

Miscellaneous · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6968352

Watson, III, J T

Steroid autoradiography and systematic and intracranial steroid treatment were undertaken to determine the neuroanatomical loci which are sufficient to activate steroid sensitive behaviors in the Japanese quail. (1) Autoradiographic localization of steroid binding cells was performed on male and female quail brains using tritiated ({sup 3}H) testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), or 5{alpha}-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The distributions of labelled cells in the quail brain following {sup 3}H-T or {sup 3}H-E2 injection and autoradiography were similar to one another. The distribution of labelled cells following {sup 3}H-DHT autoradiography was limited in comparison to that following {sup 3}H-T autoradiography. Males were found to have more labelled cells than females in nucleus taeniae. (2) Intracranial implantation of minute pellets of testoterone propionate (TP) and estradiol benzoate (EB) was performed to determine neuroanatomical loci at which steroids activate sexual behavior. Both TP and EB implants in the preoptic area (POA) activated male copulatory behavior. (3) Systematic injection of aromatase inhibitor prior to and concurrent with implantation completely blocked copulatory behavior in males with TP implants in the POA but failed to block copulation in males with EB implants in the POA. (4) Intact males and castrated males given 5 dosages of systematic EB treatment were tested for sexual behavior, and blood samples from each group were assayed for E2 concentration. (5) Midbrain DHTP implants were activated crowing without significantly stimulating peripheral androgen-sensitive tissues, but the effect on crowing was not localized to any one nucleus.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6968352
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIRDS
REPRODUCTION
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BEHAVIOR
BRAIN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MALES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
PHYSIOLOGY
TESTOSTERONE
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ANDROGENS
ANDROSTANES
ANIMALS
BODY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DATA
HORMONES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
KETONES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
VERTEBRATES
551001* - Physiological Systems- Tracer Techniques