TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual experience induces the expression of gastrin-releasing peptide and oxytocin receptors in the spinal ejaculation generator in rats
AU - Oti, Takumi
AU - Ueda, Ryota
AU - Kumagai, Ryoko
AU - Nagafuchi, Junta
AU - Ito, Takashi
AU - Sakamoto, Tatsuya
AU - Kondo, Yasuhiko
AU - Sakamoto, Hirotaka
N1 - Funding Information:
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, T.O., Y.K. and H.S.; methodology, T.O. and R.K.; software, T.O.; validation, T.O. and H.S.; formal analysis, T.O.; investigation, T.O., R.U., R.K., J.N. and T.I.; resources, T.O. and H.S.; data curation, T.O.; writing—original draft preparation, T.O. and H.S.; writing—review and editing, Y.K. and T.S.; visualization, T.O. and R.U.; supervision, Y.K. and H.S.; project administration, T.O. and H.S.; funding acquisition, T.O. and H.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript Funding: This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (to H.S.; 15K15202, 15H05724, 15KK025708, 16H06280 (ABiS); and to T.O.; 20K15837).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Li-censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - Male sexual function in mammals is controlled by the brain neural circuits and the spinal cord centers located in the lamina X of the lumbar spinal cord (L3–L4). Recently, we reported that hypothalamic oxytocin neurons project to the lumbar spinal cord to activate the neurons located in the dorsal lamina X of the lumbar spinal cord (dXL) via oxytocin receptors, thereby facilitating male sexual activity. Sexual experiences can influence male sexual activity in rats. However, how this experience affects the brain–spinal cord neural circuits underlying male sexual activity remains un-known. Focusing on dXL neurons that are innervated by hypothalamic oxytocinergic neurons controlling male sexual function, we examined whether sexual experience affects such neural circuits. We found that >50% of dXL neurons were activated in the first ejaculation group and ~30% in the control and intromission groups in sexually naïve males. In contrast, in sexually experienced males, ~50% of dXL neurons were activated in both the intromission and ejaculation groups, compared to ~30% in the control group. Furthermore, sexual experience induced expressions of gastrin-releasing peptide and oxytocin receptors in the lumbar spinal cord. This is the first demonstration of the effects of sexual experience on molecular expressions in the neural circuits controlling male sexual activity in the spinal cord.
AB - Male sexual function in mammals is controlled by the brain neural circuits and the spinal cord centers located in the lamina X of the lumbar spinal cord (L3–L4). Recently, we reported that hypothalamic oxytocin neurons project to the lumbar spinal cord to activate the neurons located in the dorsal lamina X of the lumbar spinal cord (dXL) via oxytocin receptors, thereby facilitating male sexual activity. Sexual experiences can influence male sexual activity in rats. However, how this experience affects the brain–spinal cord neural circuits underlying male sexual activity remains un-known. Focusing on dXL neurons that are innervated by hypothalamic oxytocinergic neurons controlling male sexual function, we examined whether sexual experience affects such neural circuits. We found that >50% of dXL neurons were activated in the first ejaculation group and ~30% in the control and intromission groups in sexually naïve males. In contrast, in sexually experienced males, ~50% of dXL neurons were activated in both the intromission and ejaculation groups, compared to ~30% in the control group. Furthermore, sexual experience induced expressions of gastrin-releasing peptide and oxytocin receptors in the lumbar spinal cord. This is the first demonstration of the effects of sexual experience on molecular expressions in the neural circuits controlling male sexual activity in the spinal cord.
KW - Brain–spinal cord neural circuits
KW - Gastrin-releasing peptide
KW - Lumbosacral spinal cord
KW - Male sexual activity
KW - Oxytocin
KW - Sexual experience
KW - Spinal ejaculation generator
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U2 - 10.3390/ijms221910362
DO - 10.3390/ijms221910362
M3 - Article
C2 - 34638701
AN - SCOPUS:85115699255
VL - 22
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
SN - 1661-6596
IS - 19
M1 - 10362
ER -