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Electrophysiological Studies into Circuitry Involved in LHRH-Mediated Sexual Behavior

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Neural and Endocrine Peptides and Receptors

Abstract

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) has two well-documented neu-roendocrinological functions; the decapeptide acts on the pituitary gland to stimulate the release of LH (Redding et al., 1972; Ishikawa and Nagayama, 1973; Liu et al., 1976; Blake, 1978), and it acts in the brain to enhance mating behavior in the female rat (Moss and McCann, 1973, 1975; Pfaff, 1973; Foreman and Moss, 1977, 1978a,b; Moss and Foreman, 1976; Sakuma and Pfaff, 1980; Riskind and Moss, 1979). Previous investigations indicated that the ability of LHRH to enhance mating behavior was not dependent on its effect on the pituitary-ovarian-adrenal axis. The decapeptide was shown to be capable of facilitating mating behavior in the ovar-iectomized, adrenalectomized (Moss and McCann, 1975) and ovariectomized, hypophysectomized female rat (Pfaff, 1973). Recent research efforts in our laboratory have been directed toward distinguishing the neuronal circuitry involved in the LHRH enhancement of mating behavior from the circuitry involved in LHRH-induced luteinizing hormone (LH) release. A combination of behavioral, endocrine, and electrophysiological techniques has been employed in an attempt to separate LHRH pathways participating in LH release from those contributing to the initiation of mating behavior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas, 75235, USA

    Carol A. Dudley & Robert L. Moss

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  1. Carol A. Dudley
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  2. Robert L. Moss
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  1. The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA

    Terry W. Moody

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© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

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Dudley, C.A., Moss, R.L. (1986). Electrophysiological Studies into Circuitry Involved in LHRH-Mediated Sexual Behavior. In: Moody, T.W. (eds) Neural and Endocrine Peptides and Receptors. GWUMC Department of Biochemistry Annual Spring Symposia. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5152-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5152-8_10

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