Sexual differentiation of vasopressin projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminals and medial amygdaloid nucleus in rats.
Abstract
The vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and medial amygdaloid nucleus (MA) are much denser in males than in females even if males and females are treated with similar amounts of testosterone. Previous studies have established that testosterone influences AVP-ir projections during development, but not whether these effects of testosterone were permanent. This study tested the effects of various hormonal manipulations during development on the ability of testosterone to influence the AVP immunostaining in cells of the BST and MA and of fibers in the lateral septum of adult rats. In the first experiment, male rats that were castrated at 3 months of age (control males) had more AVP-ir cells in the BST and a higher density of AVP-ir fibers in the lateral septum than neonatally castrated male rats, whose cell numbers and fiber density did not differ from female rats that were ovariectomized neonatally or at 3 months of age (control females). This suggested that testicular secretions influence sexual differentiation of AVP-ir fiber pathways after birth. The second experiment showed that males castrated at the day of birth or at 1 week after birth had less AVP-ir cells in the BST and MA and a lower AVP-ir fiber density in the lateral septum than male rats castrated at the third week after birth or control males. This indicated that testicular secretions influenced the differentiation of AVP-ir pathways around postnatal day 7. This was further confirmed in the third experiment, in which testosterone propionate treatment at the seventh postnatal day significantly raised AVP-ir fiber density in the lateral septum of neonatally gonadectomized male and female rats and fully restored the number of AVP-ir cells in the BST of neonatally castrated males. Combined, these data suggest that testosterone levels around the seventh postnatal day determine the sexual differentiation of AVP-ir projections to the lateral septum.
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A recent study suggests that the developmental decisions underlying sexual differentiation of AVP projections depend on differences in the levels of gonadal hormones in the first weeks after birth.
“A recent study suggests that these decisions depend on differences in the levels of gonadal hormones in the first weeks after birth (Wang et al., 1993).”
From Sex differences in the effects of testosterone and its metabolites on vasopressin messenger RNA levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of rats (1994) · cites this paper as Wang et al., 1993
The decision as to how many cells will express AVP depends largely on hormonal differences in the second week after birth, whereas the decision as to how dense the AVP-ir fiber plexus will be depends on hormonal differences in the first as well as second week after birth.
“Interestingly, the latter study indicated that the decision as to how many cells will express AVP depends largely on hormonal differences in the second week after birth, whereas the decision as to how dense the AVP-ir fiber plexus will bewhich may reflect absolute number as well as AVP content of individual fibers-depends on hormonal differences in the first as well as second week after birth.”
From Sex differences in the effects of testosterone and its metabolites on vasopressin messenger RNA levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of rats (1994) · cites this paper as Wang et al., 1993
This sex difference in AVP expression is organized during early postnatal life by steroid hormone actions on ER and AR.
“Moreover, this sex difference is organized during early postnatal life by steroid hormone actions on ER and AR.[24][25][26]”
From Neonatal MeCP2 is important for the organization of sex differences in vasopressin expression (2012) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Wang, Z., Bullock, N. A., & De Vries, G. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- Venue
- Endocrinology
- Publisher
- The Endocrine Society
- Published
- 1993-06
- Volume
- 132
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 2299-2306
- ISSN
- 0013-7227 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7170
- OpenAlex
- W2129403936
- Cited by
- 123
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 9.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH 1RO1MH47538)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Keywords
- vasopressin, sexual differentiation, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdala, lateral septum, testosterone, castration, testosterone propionate, postnatal development, gonadectomy, rats
- MeSH terms
- Amygdala, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Arginine Vasopressin, Castration, Female, Male, Neural Pathways, Rats, Inbred Strains, Sex Characteristics, Testosterone, Thalamus, Rats
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