PMID- 8055331
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19940915
LR  - 20190614
IS  - 0006-8993 (Print)
IS  - 0006-8993 (Linking)
VI  - 646
IP  - 1
DP  - 1994 May 16
TI  - Male preference for the odors of estrous female mice is enhanced by the 
      neurosteroid 3 alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one (3 alpha HP).
PG  - 140-4
AB  - The effects of the centrally produced allylic neurosteroid, 3 
      alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one (3 alpha HP), on the responses of male mice to the 
      odors of estrous female mice were examined in an odor preference test. Control 
      untreated mice displayed a significant preference for the odors of an estrous 
      female, spending more time in a Y-maze in the vicinity of the odors of an estrous 
      than a non-estrous female. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administrations of 3 
      alpha HP enhanced male preference for the odors of estrous females, causing a 
      significant dose-related (0.01-1.0 microgram) increase in the amount of time 
      spent in the proximity of the odors of the estrous female, while having no 
      significant effect on the responses to the non-estrous female odors. These 
      effects of 3 alpha HP were stereospecific, with the stereoisomer, 3 
      beta-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one (3 beta HP), having no significant effects on odor 
      preferences. The analgesic, morphine, also had no significant effects on the 
      responses to female odors suggesting that the enhanced preference for estrous 
      female odors were unlikely to be directly due to any analgesic effects of 3 alpha 
      HP. The effects of 3 alpha HP were significantly reduced by peripheral 
      administrations of the GABAA antagonists, bicuculline and picrotoxin, but were 
      unaffected by either the benzodiazepine antagonist, Ro 15-1788, or the opiate 
      antagonist, naloxone. These results suggest that the neurosteroid 3 alpha HP has 
      facilitatory effects on olfactory mediated male sexual interest or motivation 
      that involve interactions with the GABAA receptor.
FAU - Kavaliers, M
AU  - Kavaliers M
AD  - Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
FAU - Wiebe, J P
AU  - Wiebe JP
FAU - Galea, L A
AU  - Galea LA
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Brain Res
JT  - Brain research
JID - 0045503
RN  - 0 (GABA Antagonists)
RN  - 145-14-2 (20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone)
RN  - 25680-68-6 (3-hydroxypregn-4-en-20-one)
SB  - IM
MH  - 20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology
MH  - Animals
MH  - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
MH  - Estrus/*physiology
MH  - Female
MH  - GABA Antagonists
MH  - Injections, Intraventricular
MH  - Male
MH  - Mice
MH  - Mice, Inbred Strains
MH  - *Odorants
MH  - Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects
MH  - Stereoisomerism
EDAT- 1994/05/16 00:00
MHDA- 1994/05/16 00:01
CRDT- 1994/05/16 00:00
PHST- 1994/05/16 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1994/05/16 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1994/05/16 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 0006-8993(94)90067-1 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/0006-8993(94)90067-1 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Brain Res. 1994 May 16;646(1):140-4. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)90067-1.