Abstract
Rotational behavior induced by electrical stimulation of ascending dopamine neurons is used as a behavioral model to investigate gender and hormonal influences on extra-hypothalamic dopamine systems. Steroid hormones influence the metabolism of many dopaminergic drugs, and therefore this approach avoids the complications inherent in drug-induced behavior models of dopamine activity. We found that gonadectomy of female, but not male, rats severely attenuates electrical stimulation-induced rotational behavior. This suggests that some female gonadal steroid hormone(s) may modulate the activity of ascending dopamine neurons, while male gonadal hormones do not.
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