Abstract
Reproductive behavior is the behavior related to the production of offspring and includes all aspects from the establishment of mating systems, courtship, sexual behavior, and parturition to the care of young. In this chapter, I outline the hormonal regulation of the estrous cycle, followed by a description of the neural regulation of female sexual behavior. Ovarian hormones play an important role in the induction of ovulation and behavioral estrus, in which they interact closely with several neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to induce sexual behavior. This chapter discusses the latest research on the role of estrogen, progesterone, serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, oxytocin, and GABA in female mating behavior. In addition, the most relevant brain areas, such as the preoptic area and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, in which these regulations take place, are discussed.
Keywords
- Dopamine
- Estrogen
- Estrous cycle
- Females
- Mating
- Neural regulation
- Noradrenaline
- Oxytocin
- Progesterone
- Reproductive behavior
- Serotonin
- Sexual behavior
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- 5-HT:
-
Serotonin
- ARC:
-
Arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus
- ARC-VM:
-
Arcuate-ventromedial area of the hypothalamus
- BNST:
-
Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
- BNSTpm:
-
Posteromedial part of BNST
- CTF:
-
Central tegmental field
- DA:
-
Dopamine
- DRN:
-
Dorsal raphé nucleus
- E:
-
Estrogen
- ER:
-
Estrogen receptor
- Fos-IR:
-
Fos-immunoreactivity
- FSH :
-
Follicle-stimulating hormone
- GABA:
-
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
- GnRH :
-
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
- GnSAF:
-
Gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor
- Icv:
-
Intracerebroventricular
- LH:
-
Luteal hormone
- LHA:
-
Lateral hypothalamic area
- MeA:
-
Medial amygdala
- MeApd:
-
Posterodorsal part of MeA
- MPN:
-
Medial preoptic nucleus
- MRN:
-
Medial raphé nucleus
- NAc:
-
Nucleus accumbens
- NPY:
-
Neuropeptide Y
- OT:
-
Oxytocin
- P:
-
Progesterone
- PAG:
-
Periaqueductal gray
- PD:
-
Posterodorsal preoptic nucleus
- PMV:
-
Ventral premammillary nucleus
- POA:
-
Preoptic area
- PR:
-
Progesterone receptor
- PVN:
-
Paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus
- SERT:
-
Serotonin transporter
- SPFp:
-
Subparafiscular nucleus
- SSRI:
-
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
- VMN:
-
Ventromedial hypothalamus
- VMNcv:
-
Caudoventral part of VMN
- VMNvl:
-
Ventrolateral part of VMN
- VTA:
-
Ventral tegmental area
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Snoeren, E.M.S. (2018). Female Reproductive Behavior. In: Coolen, L., Grattan, D. (eds) Neuroendocrine Regulation of Behavior. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 43. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2018_68
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