Neural Substrates of Sexual Motivation and Performance as Revealed by Neural Immediate-Early Gene Expression

Re: Response to Blaustein et al. paper

Unfortunately, I can't answer the question given the limitations of the double label procedure that we used. However, I don't interpret the negative data in the MPO to mean that dopamine is not the operative neurotransmitter at least in some of the cells (Meredith et al., J. Neuroscience, 18, 1998, 10189-10195). In fact, we do see VCS induced phosphorlyation of DARPP-32 in the MPO, *suggesting* that VCS is activating dopamine receptors in many cells in that area.

On Tue Dec 15, Mary Erskine wrote
---------------------------------
> You show nicely the effect of the D1 agonist on FOS
>expression in PR-containing cells within the VMN. However,
>there doesn't seem to be the same effect within the MPO,
>although, as in the VMN, FOS/PR double-labelled cells
>were increased by VCS in the MPO. What is your idea
>about the neurotransmitter(s) involved in stimulating
>PR cells within the MPO?
>

Wed Dec 16