Getting his act together: Roles of glutamate, nitric oxide, and dopamine in the medial preoptic area

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1126; no. 1; pp. 66 - 75
• Main Authors: Hull, Elaine M., Dominguez, Juan M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 18.12.2006; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Anatomical correlates of behavior; Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Copulation; Copulation - physiology; Dopamine - metabolism; Experience; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Gonadal hormone; Learning - physiology; Male; Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology; Neural Pathways - metabolism; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Preoptic Area - anatomy & histology; Preoptic Area - metabolism; Presynaptic Terminals - metabolism; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rat; Rats; Sensitization; Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Copulation; Experience; Sensitization; Gonadal hormone; Rat; Hormone; Dopamine; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Sexual behavior; Hypothalamus; Catecholamine; Glutamate; Medial preoptic area; Encephalon; Mating; Reproduction; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Nitric oxide; Excitatory aminoacid; Neurotransmitter

Gonadal hormones have primarily slow, genomically mediated effects, but copulation requires rapid interactions with a partner. A major way in which hormones facilitate male sexual behavior is by increasing production of neurotransmitter receptors or of enzymes that regulate neurotransmitter synthesi...