Mechanisms of female sexual behavior controlled by GnRH neurons

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21172
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H06037 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: 0605:Veterinary medical science, animal science, and related fields
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Sho 岡山理科大学, 獣医学部, 助教 (50829223)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 発情行動 / ロードシス / GnRH / キスペプチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aimed to investigate the brain mechanism controlling female sexual behavior. Double immunofluorescence for c-Fos and GnRH was performed by using the brain that were collected from estrogen-primed female Kiss1 KO rats after showing lordosis. Wild-type females showed 70% of GnRH neurons coexpress c-Fos, while there is few c-Fos-expressing GnRH neurons in Kiss1 KO females. This result suggests that kisspeptin neurons would govern both HPG-axis and female sexual behavior via the activation of GnRH neurons. In accordance with these series of experiments, several groups of neurons in the hypothalamus and amygdala were found to be activated after sexual behavior. The effects of these neurons on female sexual behavior will be investigated.

Free Research Field

神経内分泌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により、発情行動を制御するGnRHニューロンの活性化にはキスペプチンが上位で制御することが示唆された。哺乳類の繁殖が成立するには、動物の生理状態に応じて生殖内分泌系と発情行動が協調的に制御されることが重要である。家畜の生産現場では、人工授精時の初回受胎率の低下が深刻な問題となっている。人工授精のタイミングは発情行動の発見によって決定されるため、発情行動の異常に起因する繁殖障害を解決するには、発情行動を制御する脳内メカニズムの解明が重要と考えられる。