PMID- 11744084
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020211
LR  - 20191105
VI  - 37
IP  - 1-3
DP  - 2001 Nov
TI  - The testosterone metabolite and neurosteroid 3alpha-androstanediol may mediate 
      the effects of testosterone on conditioned place preference.
PG  - 162-71
AB  - The abuse of androgens may be related to their ability to produce positive, 
      hedonic interoceptive effects. Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) has been used 
      in many experiments to examine hedonic effects of drugs. This review is focused 
      on studies from our laboratory that utilized CPP to examine potential positive 
      hedonic effects of testosterone (T), and its androgenic metabolite 
      dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and its metabolite 3alpha-androstanediol 
      (3alpha-diol). We hypothesized that administration of a high concentration of 
      3alpha-diol would produce a CPP, pharmacological concentrations of plasma 
      androgens, and alter androgen receptors (AR) and the function of 
      GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptor complexes (GBR). In our studies, we observed that 
      systemic 3alpha-diol (1.0 mg/kg) prior to exposure to the non-preferred side of a 
      CPP chamber significantly increased preference for the non-preferred side of the 
      chamber compared to baseline preference and homecage controls. Furthermore, 
      administration of T, DHT, or 3alpha-diol increased levels of these androgens, 
      decreased ARs (decreased seminal vesicle weight and intrahypothalamic AR) and GBR 
      function (decreased GABA-stimulated chloride influx in cortical 
      synaptoneurosomes, and muscimol binding in the hippocampus compared to control 
      groups). With systemic administration of 3alpha-diol that enhanced CPP, 
      concentrations of 3alpha-diol were increased in the nucleus accumbens (NA). 
      Central implants of T, DHT, or 3alpha-diol to the NA also produced a CPP compared 
      to baseline preference and vehicle controls. These data indicate that systemic 
      3alpha-diol is more effective at enhancing CPP and increasing circulating 
      3alpha-diol levels than is T or DHT and that central administration of 
      3alpha-diol to the NA can condition a place preference. These findings indicate 
      that 3alpha-diol produces positive hedonic effects and suggest that T's variable 
      effects on CPP may be due in part to T's metabolism to 3alpha-diol.
FAU - Rosellini, R A
AU  - Rosellini RA
AD  - Department of Psychology, The University at Albany - SUNY, 1400 Washington 
      Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA. rar93@cas.albany.edu
FAU - Svare, B B
AU  - Svare BB
FAU - Rhodes, M E
AU  - Rhodes ME
FAU - Frye, C A
AU  - Frye CA
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
PT  - Review
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Brain Res Brain Res Rev
JT  - Brain research. Brain research reviews
JID - 8908638
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Androgen)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, GABA-A)
RN  - 25126-76-5 (Androstane-3,17-diol)
RN  - 3XMK78S47O (Testosterone)
SB  - IM
MH  - Androstane-3,17-diol/*metabolism/pharmacology
MH  - Animals
MH  - Behavior, Animal/drug effects
MH  - Conditioning, Classical/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Rats
MH  - Receptors, Androgen/metabolism
MH  - Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism
MH  - Spatial Behavior/drug effects/*physiology
MH  - Testosterone/*metabolism/pharmacology
RF  - 52
EDAT- 2001/12/18 10:00
MHDA- 2002/02/12 10:01
CRDT- 2001/12/18 10:00
PHST- 2001/12/18 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/02/12 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/12/18 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S0165017301001163 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s0165-0173(01)00116-3 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2001 Nov;37(1-3):162-71. doi: 
      10.1016/s0165-0173(01)00116-3.