Acute sex hormone manipulations improve spatial performance and increase hippocampal receptor mRNA expression in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Acute sex hormone manipulations improve spatial performance and increase hippocampal receptor mRNA expression in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) Olivia Haggis1*, Simone Meddle1, Nicola Clayton2 and Sue Healy3 1 University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom 2 Cambridge University, United Kingdom 3 University of St Andrews, United Kingdom In general, testosterone (T) and oestrogen (E) improve spatial memory in mammals both during development and throughout life. Little is known about steroid actions in birds in relation to spatial cognition and the hippocampus. The avian hippocampus is important for spatial memory and contains both androgen (AR) and oestrogen receptors (ER) and the enzyme aromatase that converts T to E. Our aim was to investigate the activational effects of sex steroids in spatial cognition and hippocampal morphology in the adult zebra finch. We manipulated steroid levels by providing food to which steroid had been added. Cognitive abilities were then tested with a spatial one-trial associative memory task. Brains were collected for in situ hybridization for androgen receptor (AR), oestrogen receptor (ER) and aromatase mRNA expression. T administration significantly increased plasma T levels in both males and females, peaking at 30 minutes and returning to baseline levels within 60 minutes. Ingestion of T or E 30 minutes prior to testing significantly improved spatial performance in both males and females after five days. This improvement was blocked when the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole was given in addition to T. Artificially increasing plasma T levels significantly increased hippocampal AR and ER mRNA expression in both sexes after 30 minutes. Males had significantly higher levels baseline levels of aromatase mRNA expression compared to females. T treatment increased expression in both sexes after 30 minutes. Taken together the data suggest that T, likely through conversion to E, is capable of improving spatial cognition in birds. Conference: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster presentations Citation: Haggis O, Meddle S, Clayton N and Healy S (2009). Acute sex hormone manipulations improve spatial performance and increase hippocampal receptor mRNA expression in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Conference Abstract: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.171 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 09 Jun 2009; Published Online: 09 Jun 2009. * Correspondence: Olivia Haggis, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, olivia.haggis@ed.ac.uk Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Olivia Haggis Simone Meddle Nicola Clayton Sue Healy Google Olivia Haggis Simone Meddle Nicola Clayton Sue Healy Google Scholar Olivia Haggis Simone Meddle Nicola Clayton Sue Healy PubMed Olivia Haggis Simone Meddle Nicola Clayton Sue Healy Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.