Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-2-1
pubmed:abstractText
Beneficial effects of sexual activity and mating on the responsiveness to environmental stress can be observed in humans and other mammalian species alike, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are largely unknown. Sexual activity and mating with a receptive female has recently been shown to reduce the subsequent emotional stress response via activation of the brain oxytocin system. Therefore, we investigated the neuronal and hormonal responses to an acute stressor (forced swimming) after mating in male rats. Attenuation of the stress-induced increase of c-fos and CRH mRNA expression within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus 4 h after mating revealed that sexual activity reduced neuronal reactivity in this region. However, this effect was independent of oxytocin as oxytocin receptor blockade, by central administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist, after mating did not prevent the reduced expression of c-fos mRNA in response to stressor exposure. Mating itself stimulated corticotrophin (ACTH) and corticosterone secretion, which was absent in males after contact with an unreceptive female (non-mated group). However, ACTH and corticosterone responses to forced swimming applied either 45 min or 4 h after female contact were similar between mated and non-mated males. These findings provide evidence for a stress-protective effect of sexual activity and mating in male rats and for dissociation between neuronal and neuroendocrine stress responses.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
1095-6867
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
57
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
222-9
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Corticosterone, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Female, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Male, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Neuropsychological Tests, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-RNA, Messenger, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Rats, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Rats, Wistar, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Receptors, Oxytocin, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Sexual Behavior, Animal, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Stress, Psychological, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Swimming, pubmed-meshheading:19948175-Time Factors
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Attenuation of the neuronal stress responsiveness and corticotrophin releasing hormone synthesis after sexual activity in male rats.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. martin.waldherr@biologie.uni-regensburg.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article