Reproductive experience increases striatal and hypothalamic dopamine levels in pregnant rats

The effects of parity on the dopaminergic function of rats were studied. Striatal and hypothalamic levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) as well as serum prolactin (PRL)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research bulletin 1996, Vol.40 (4), p.253-256
Main Authors: Felicio, Luciano F., Florio, Jorge C., Sider, Lucia H., Cruz-Casallas, Pablo E., Bridges, Robert S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid - metabolism
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Corpus Striatum - metabolism
Dopamine
Dopamine - metabolism
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Homovanillic Acid - metabolism
Hormone metabolism and regulation
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - metabolism
Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus - metabolism
Mammalian female genital system
Norepinephrine - metabolism
Parity
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Animal - metabolism
Prolactin
Prolactin - blood
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Serotonin - metabolism
Striatum
Vertebrates: reproduction
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Summary:The effects of parity on the dopaminergic function of rats were studied. Striatal and hypothalamic levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) as well as serum prolactin (PRL) levels of 7-days primigravid and multigravid rats were compared. Brains and trunk blood were collected from 1200–1400 h on day 7 of pregnancy and assayed for monoamines and their metabolites, and prolactin, respectively. Multigravid rats showed a significant increase in striatal and hypothalamic dopamine levels. A tendency to increase in striatal DOPAC levels was also observed in multigravid rats. Levels of other neurotransmitters and metabolites were not statistically different. Haloperidol (1 mg/kg) treatment induced a significant increase in multigravid 5-HT striatal levels. There was no statistical difference among primigravid and multigravid serum PRL levels after either saline or haloperidol treatment. These data suggest that prior parity produces a shift in dopaminergic activity in multigravid rats.
ISSN:0361-9230
1873-2747
DOI:10.1016/0361-9230(96)00008-1