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

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 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
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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