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Ca2+/calmodulin system: participation on rat sexual hypothalamic differentiation

M Rodríguez-Medina1, E Canchola, M Vergara-Onofre

  • 1Becario Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technología y Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, ENEP Zaragoza, U.N.A.M. División de Químico-Biológicas, México City, México.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|November 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Neonatal exposure to drugs affecting the calcium/calmodulin system altered male rat sexual differentiation. These findings highlight the system's role in modulating masculine and feminine behaviors.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Pharmacology

Background:

  • Sexual differentiation of the brain is a complex process influenced by hormonal and environmental factors.
  • The Ca2+/calmodulin system plays a crucial role in various cellular functions, including neuronal development and signaling.
  • Understanding the impact of specific drug classes on sexual differentiation is vital for neurodevelopmental research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of neonatal administration of drugs targeting the Ca2+/calmodulin system on hypothalamic sexual differentiation in male rats.
  • To assess the influence of these drugs on both masculine and feminine behavioral patterns in adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • Male rat pups were treated neonatally (72 hours after birth) with drugs affecting the Ca2+/calmodulin system (haloperidol, trifluoperazine, penfluridol, pimozide, verapamil).

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  • Behavioral testing was conducted on postnatal day 120, including five tests for masculine (homotypical) behavior.
  • Animals were subsequently castrated and tested for feminine (heterotypical) behavior under hormonal replacement therapy.

    • Main Results:

    • Fifty percent of treated males exhibited lordotic behavior, a feminine trait, compared to none of the controls. Pimozide showed the highest efficacy (80%).
    • Haloperidol (39% lordosis quotient) and pimozide (40% lordosis quotient) were particularly effective in inducing lordotic behavior.
    • Pimozide significantly influenced appetitive masculine behaviors, while verapamil impacted consummatory behaviors, suggesting differential effects on specific behavioral components.

    Conclusions:

    • The Ca2+/calmodulin system is implicated in the sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus.
    • Modulation of the Ca2+/calmodulin system can alter the expression of both masculine and feminine behavioral patterns in male rats.
    • These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying sexual behavior and its differentiation.