Linked Life Data

8544954

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/8544954

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
1996-2-14
pubmed:abstractText
Research on a wide variety of vertebrates, from fish to mammals, reveals that corticosteroid hormones and vasotocin-like neuropeptides can potently modulate reproductive behaviors. But, it is not clear how the behavioral effects of these chemical messengers relate to functional properties of behavior-controlling neurons. This problem was investigated in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa, an amphibian in which the administration of arginine vasotocin (AVT) facilitates and corticosterone (CORT) inhibits courtship clasping of females by males. In waking, immobilized male newts, neurophysiological effects of AVT and CORT were studied in neurons in the rostral medulla due to the probable role of these neurons in the control of clasping. Topical medullary application of a clasp-facilitating dose of AVT produced a rapid increase in neuronal responsiveness to pressure on the cloaca, a trigger stimulus for clasping responses. Neuronal responses to noncloacal somatic stimuli and to moving visual stimuli were also enhanced. Systemic CORT administration, which has previously been shown to depress newt medullary neuronal sensory responsiveness, reversed the action of AVT such that the peptide depressed sensory responsiveness when applied 30 min after CORT. When AVT application preceded CORT injection by 10-17 min, however, the usual suppressive CORT effect was reversed and this treatment resulted in a rapidly appearing potentiation of neuronal activity and enhanced somatic sensory responsiveness. If the interval between AVT and CORT was increased to 30 min, the steroid caused a rapid depression of firing and a diminished somatic sensory responsiveness in most neurons, similar to what occurs in newts treated with CORT alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0028-3835
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
62
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
406-17
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Neurophysiological effects of vasotocin and corticosterone on medullary neurons: implications for hormonal control of amphibian courtship behavior.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't