Sex and age – department changes in oestradiol receptor concentration in the hypothalamus of C57BL/10J mice

Abstract

The actions of oestradiol on the brain to control both sexual behavior and the release of gonadoliberin (GnRH), and thus finally gonadal function, are mediated through the binding of the steroid hormone to its stereospecific cytoplasmic receptors (Mc Ewen et al. 1979). Such receptors for oestradiol have been located in the hypothalami of both male and female rats, and some of their properties have been described. In the male, oestradiol derived from the aromatization of testosterone (Naftolin et al. 1975) is believed to act along with 5α–dihydrotestosterone in the CNS control of male gonadal function and sexual behavior. In this paper we report on the number of oestradiol receptors in the hypothalami of C57BL/10J (C57) mice, a strain in which a number of male characteristics are known to be deficient (Bartke 1974). Oestradiol receptor concentration was determined in the cytosol (100,000× g supernatant) derived from hypothalami from