Change in number and activation of androgen receptor-immunoreactive cells in the medial amygdala in response to chemosensory input

Abstract

In many species social behaviors are dependent on integration of chemosensory and hormonal cues. Many chemosensory stimuli are detected by the vomeronasal organ, which projects to many regions that contain steroid receptors, including the medial amygdala. In male hamsters, testosterone is known to acutely increase in response to chemosensory stimulation, and can facilitate sexual behavior by direct action within the medial amygdala. Conspecific stimuli activate the anterior (MeA) and posterior (MeP) medial amygdala, while heterospecific stimuli activate only MeA. Chemosensory stimuli with different social significance differentially activate the dorsal and ventral subdivisions of MeA and MeP. Therefore, it is likely that steroids differentially facilitate stimulation of the medial amygdala by various chemosensory stimuli. We used Fos expression to examine activation of androgen receptor (AR)-containing cells in the medial amygdala by heterospecific and conspecific stimuli in intact male hamsters and castrated males with testosterone (T)-replacement. The number of AR-immunoreactive (-ir) cells was significantly different from control and between stimuli in intact males, but not in T-replaced castrates. Fos activation was similar in all animals. The results are consistent with a change in number of AR-ir cells in intact animals due to acute increases in testosterone caused by chemosignals.