Neuronal Activity of Aromatase Enzyme in Non-Copulating Male Rats

Authors: Portillo, W.¹; Castillo, C. G.¹; Retana-Márquez, S.²; Roselli, C. E.³; Paredes, R. G.¹

Source: Journal of Neuroendocrinology, Volume 19, Number 2, February 2007 , pp. 139-141(3)

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Abstract:

There are apparently normal male rats that fail to initiate copulation; these animals are called non-copulating (NC) males. Several research groups have demonstrated that conversion of testosterone to oestradiol (aromatisation) in specific brain areas known to be involved in the control of masculine sexual behaviour is fundamental in the control of masculine sexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the concentration of aromatase activity (AA) in the brain is lower in NC males than in copulating males (C). We quantified AA in several brain nuclei and also evaluated whether NC rats have altered concentrations of testosterone in their plasma. We found that AA was reduced in the medial preoptic nuclei (MPN) of NC male rats vs C males. In addition, NC and C male rats had similar plasma levels of testosterone. These data suggest that reduced levels of AA in the MPN could be a crucial factor associated with lack of male coital behaviour in rats.

Keywords: non-copulating male rats; aromatase activity; masculine sexual behaviour; medial preoptic nucleus; plasma levels of testosterone

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2826.2006.01513.x

Affiliations: 1: Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México. 2: Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, México. 3: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.

Publication date: 2007-02-01