Elsevier

Behavioural Brain Research

Volume 6, Issue 3, November 1982, Pages 273-287
Behavioural Brain Research

Research paper
Sex differences and estrous cycle dependent variation in rotational behavior elicited by electrical stimulation of the mesostriatal dopamine system

https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-4328(82)90028-6Get rights and content

Abstract

In this study electrical stimulation-induced rotational behavior was used as a behavioral index of mesostriatal dopamine (DA) activity to investigate gender and hormonal influences on the DA system. In female rats we found estrous cycle related variations in electrical stimulation-induced rotational behavior. A constant electrical stimulus produced significantly more turning on the day of estrus, than it did 24 h later, on diestrus 1. Gonadectomy attenuated contraversive rotational behavior in female, but not male rats. In contrast, ovariectomy had no effect on the ipsiversive rotational behavior produced by stimulation of the reticular formation. This evidence supports the idea that endogenous changes in gonadal hormone levels influence the functional activity of the mesostriatal DA system in a sexually dimorphic manner

References (39)

Cited by (63)

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    Importantly, sex differences in rotational behavior were also dependent on gonadal hormones. Rotational behavior induced by unilateral electrical stimulation of the ascending mesostriatal pathway was greatest in estrous females compared to those in diestrus, and similar results were seen after AMPH administration, even when controlling for sex differences in pharmacokinetic factors (Becker et al., 1982; Robinson et al., 1982). OVX reduced rotational behavior elicited by both AMPH and electrical stimulation, and treatment with estradiol for four consecutive days increased the number of rotations made after AMPH administration to levels seen in intact females (Becker and Beer, 1986; Robinson et al., 1982).

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    Backed by the results of other studies they suggested that the underlying basis for this turning bias is possibly an endogenous asymmetry in DA levels between the left and the right striatum (see Bracha et al., 1987b; Glick et al., 1982; Mead and Hampson, 1996). Again, based on the past studies, they suggested that the greater tendency of a rightward turning bias in females was possibly caused by their increased striatal dopaminergic asymmetry which is associated with high endogenous concentrations of ovarian hormones, and magnifies any existing rotational bias (see Becker et al., 1982; Mead and Hampson, 1996; Robinson et al., 1982). One obvious limitation of such an interpretation is that it cannot account for a leftward bias as demonstrated in some other studies (Mohr and Bracha, 2004; Mohr et al., 2003; Toussaint and Fagard, 2008; see above for details).

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    The estrous cycle alters the extracellular DA signaling transduction in the striatum of female rats. Specifically, (1) basal levels of DA in the striatum are greater in the estrus stage than in diestrus (Jori and Cecchetti, 1973; Becker and Cha, 1989; Becker, 1990); (2) the estrous cycle also alters DA receptors' distribution and reuptake sites (Di Paolo et al., 1982; Levesque and Di Paolo, 1988; Levesque et al., 1989); (3) female rats have greater behavioral responses when the striatal DA system is stimulated (pharmacologically or electronically) during estrus than during diestrus (Robinson et al., 1982; Becker et al., 1982; Joyce and Van Hartesveldy, 1984; Becker and Cha, 1989). Three new studies have demonstrated sex differences in PKA signaling pathway activation.

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    The above considerations raise the possibility that here only disrupted LI that is alleviated by haloperidol, namely, that found in proestrus–estrus, reflects a psychotic-like abnormality. Interestingly, DA activity, release and metabolism are higher during proestrus and early estrus (following the surges of estrogen) than metestrus and diestrus (Becker et al., 1982, 1987; Becker and Cha, 1989; Becker, 1990; Jori and Cecchetti, 1973; Robinson et al., 1982; Xiao and Becker, 1994). This may suggest that disruption of LI in the proestrus–estrus condition is mediated by increased dopaminergic transmission akin to amphetamine-induced disruption, and therefore effectively antagonized by haloperidol.

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