|
In order to learn how hormones act in the brain to
modify brain function and behavior, we study the cellular
and neuroanatomical mechanisms of ovarian steroid hormone
action on reproductive behavior and the interactions between
steroid hormones and neurotransmitters.
In female rats, the ovarian hormones estradiol and
progesterone regulate reproductive behaviors. The
sensitivity of the brain to each of the hormones is
determined in part by the concentrations of intracellular
receptors for each of these hormones. Intracellular steroid
hormone receptors are essential in mediating the effects of
steroid hormones on some behaviors, in part by modulating
gene transcription and translation. We study the cellular
processes by which steroid hormones act in neurons,
particularly with respect to their involvement in
reproductive behavior. Because we are interested in the
connections of steroid hormone-sensitive neurons, we also
map functional projection pathways of hormone-sensitive
neurons.
Besides the well-known influences of steroid hormones on
neurotransmitter systems, some neurotransmitters regulate
steroid hormone receptors in some neurons. We have shown
that noradrenergic neurons regulate the level of estrogen
and progestin receptors in parts of the brain.
|
Neuroendocrinology and Behavior:
Neuronal Mechanisms of Action of Steroid Hormones and Receptors;
Environmental Influences on the Brain; Neurotransmitter-Hormone
Interactions
We have also observed that some steroid hormone-sensitive
neurons are heavily innervated by noradrenergic neurons, a
finding that may explain many of the known interactions
between norepinephrine and steroid hormones in the
regulation of physiology and behavior. We believe that this
represents an interesting example of regulation of
particular neuronal proteins by afferent input. Our other
main interest is in determining the cellular processes by
which afferent inputs from the social environment influence
hormone response in specific neurons. We have shown that
many neurons that respond genomically to mating stimuli also
contain ovarian steroid hormone receptors. This suggests
that these neurons are capable of integrating tactile
information received from the social environment with
hormonal information. Furthermore, while it was originally
thought that these steroid hormone receptors are activated
only by steroid hormones, it is now known that they may
undergo hormone-independent activation in response to
afferent input received via neurotransmitter release.
|
This activation in turn causes changes in behavior and
physiology, which resemble those induced by
hormone-dependent activation. Studies are underway to
understand the cellular mechanisms involved in
hormone-independent activation of neuronal steroid hormone
receptors. A new interest of our group is to study the
mechanisms by which estrogens derived from plants
(phytoestrogens) act in the brain. These environmental
estrogens are present naturally in food, and they are often
for relief of menopausal symptoms in women. However, very
few studies have looked at the effects of these compounds in
the brain. We are determining if these compounds act as
estrogens, antiestrogens or both on a variety of
estrogen-regulated genes and on behavior.
We use a variety of biochemical and anatomical techniques
including immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization,
tract-tracing in conjunction with steroid hormone receptor
immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, steroid hormone
receptor binding assays, intracranial application of
neuroactive substances, radioimmunoassay, and behavioral
observation. In many experiments, we study hormonal
processes at the level of individual neurons as well at the
behavioral level.
For additional information, please visit my CNS
Website.
UMass Magazine Summer 2003 article on Neuroendocrinology
at UMass.
|
Representative Publications:
Bennett, A.L., Blasberg, M.E. and Blaustein, J.D. (2001) Sensory
cues mediating mating-induced potentiation of sexual receptivity in
female rats. Hormones and Behavior, 40: 77-83.
Auger, A.P., Meredith, J.M., Snyder, G.L., Greengard, P. and
Blaustein, J.D. (2001) Estradiol increases phosphorylation of a
dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (DARPP-32) in female
rat brain. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 13:
759-766.
Auger, A.P., LaRiccia, L.M., Moffatt, C.A. and Blaustein, J.D.
(2000) Progesterone, but not progesterone-independent activation of
progestin receptors by a mating stimulus, rapidly decreases progestin
receptor immunoreactivity in female rat brain. Hormones and
Behavior, 37:135-144.
Donahue, J.E., Stopa, E.G., Chorsky, R.L., King, J.C., Schipper,
H.M., Tobet, S.A., Blaustein, J.D. and Reichlin, S. (2000) Cells
containing immunoreactive estrogen receptor-? in the human basal
forebrain. Brain Research, 856: 142-151.
Lonstein, J.S., Greco, B., DeVries, G.J., Stern, J.M. and
Blaustein, J.D. (2000) Maternal behavior stimulates c-fos activity
within estrogen receptor alpha-containing neurons in lactating rats.
Neuroendocrinology, 72: 91-101.
Turcotte, J.C. and Blaustein, J.D. (1999). Projections of the
estrogen receptor-immunoreactive hypothalamus to other estrogen
receptor-immunoreactive sites in the female guinea pig brain.
Neuroendocrinology, 69: 63 - 76.
de la Iglesia, H.O., Blaustein, J.D. and Bittman, E.L. (1999)
Estrogen receptor-immunoreactive neurons project to the
suprachiasmatic nucleus of the female Syrian hamster. Journal of
Neuroendocrinology, 11: 481-490.
Moffatt,C.A., Rissman, E.F., Shupnik, M.A. and Blaustein, J.D.
(1998), Induction of neural progestin receptors by estradiol in
estrogen receptor-alpha gene disrupted mice. Journal of
Neuroscience, 18: 9556 - 9563.
Meredith, J.M., Moffatt, C.A., Auger, A.P., Snyder, G.L.,
Greengard, P. and Blaustein, J. D. (1998). Mating-related stimulation
induces phosphorylation of DARPP-32 in progestin receptor-containing
areas in the female rat brain. Journal of Neuroscience,
18: 10189 - 10195.
Auger, A.P., Moffatt, C.A. and Blaustein, J.D. (1997)
Steroid-independent activation of rat brain progestin receptors by
reproductive stimuli. Endocrinology, 138, 511-514.
Mani, S.K., Blaustein, J.D. and O’Malley, B.W. (1997)
Progesterone receptor function from a behavioral perspective.
Hormones and Behavior, 31, 244-255.
Auger, A.P., Moffatt, C.A. and Blaustein, J.D. (1996)
Reproductively-relevant stimuli induce Fos-immunoreactivity within
progestin receptor-containing neurons in localized regions of female
rat forebrain. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 8,
831-838.
Auger, A.P. and Blaustein, J.D. (1995) Progesterone enhances an
estradiol-induced increase in Fos immunoreactivity in localized
regions of female rat forebrain. Journal of Neuroscience,
15, 2272-2279.
Blaustein, J.D., Tetel, M.J., and Meredith, J.M. (1995)
Neurobiological regulation of hormonal response by progestin and
estrogen receptors. In (P. Micevych and R. Hammer, eds.),
Neurobiological Effects of Sex Steroid Hormones, Cambridge
University Press, New York, pp 324 - 349.
Mani, S.K., Allen, J.M.C., Clark, J.H., Blaustein, J.D. and
O'Malley, B.W. (1994) Convergent pathways for steroid hormone- and
neurotransmitter-induced rat sexual behavior. Science,
265, 1246-1249.
Meredith, J.M., Auger, C.J. and Blaustein, J.D. (1994)
Down-regulation of estrogen receptor immunoreactivity by
17$-estradiol in the guinea pig forebrain. Journal of
Neuroendocrinology, 6, 639-648.
Tetel, M.J., Celentano, D.C., and Blaustein, J.D. (1994)
Intraneuronal convergence of environmental and hormonal stimuli
associated with female reproduction. Journal of
Neuroendocrinology, 6, 211-216.
Tetel, M.J., Getzinger, M.J., and Blaustein, J.D. (1993) Fos
expression in the rat brain following vaginal-cervical stimulation by
mating and manual probing. Journal of Neuroendocrinology,
5, 397-404.
Blaustein, J.D., Lehman, M.N., Turcotte, J.C., Greene, G. (1992)
Estrogen receptors in dendrites and axon terminals in the guinea pig
hypothalamus, Endocrinology, 131, 281-290.
Tetel, M.J. and Blaustein, J.D. (1991) Immunocytochemical evidence for noradrenergic
regulation of estrogen receptor concentrations in the guinea pig hypothalamus,
Brain Research, 565, 321-329.
Back to NSB Faculty
Back to MCB Faculty
Back to OEB Faculty