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Gonadal hormones profoundly influence brain physiology and
behavior in vertebrates. During development, these hormones
determine whether brains will function in a typical male or
female fashion. In adulthood, environmentally induced or
endogenously programmed changes in gonadal hormone levels
alter hormone-sensitive functions or behaviors. These
actions of gonadal hormones provide valuable tools in
relating brain structure to function, since one can relate
sexual differentiation of hormone-sensitive functions with
sexual differentiation of structures implicated in these
functions. In addition, one can relate changes in structure
and function that are induced by gonadal hormones in adult
animals. This approach has given insight as to the extent to
which gonadal hormones can mold the brain to help it
generate functions and behaviors relevant to sex and
environmental condition. The cellular and molecular
mechanisms underlying these hormonal actions, however, are
poorly understood.
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Development and Function of Sex Differences in the Brain; Neural Basis
of Social Behavior
Our lab addresses this issue by studying a sexually
dimorphic group of forebrain neurons that produce the
neuropeptide vasopressin. The projections of these neurons
are much denser in males than in females. Gonadal hormones
dramatically influence these neurons throughout life. For
example, a drop in the level of sex hormones in adulthood is
immediately followed by a reduction in vasopressin gene
expression. It takes months, however, before vasopressin has
disappeared from the terminals of these neurons. Such
gradual changes may explain the gradual changes found in
male sexual behavior and aggressive behavior after
castration.
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Our studies focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms
underlying sexual differentiation and the regulation of
vasopressin synthesis and release, and the functional
significance of this hormone-sensitive system. Our approach
is multidisciplinary. We are using, for example, neuronal
tract-tracing, immunocytochemistry, in-situ hybridization,
neural transplants, and various developmental manipulations
to answer these questions. Most of our studies are done in
rats, although we are also studying homologous systems in
animals such as voles of which there is a wealth of
ethological knowledge but a paucity of physiological
knowledge.
For additional information, please visit my Home
Page.
UMass
Magazine Summer 2003 article "Neuroendocrinology at UMass".
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Recent publications:
Bittman EL, Jetton AE, Villalba C, De Vries GJ (1996) Effects of
photoperiod and androgen on pituitary function and neuropeptide
staining in Siberian hamsters. Am J Physiol 271: R64-R72.
Ricciardi KHN, Turcotte JC, De Vries GJ, Blaustein JD (1996)
Efferent projections from the ovarian steroid receptor-containing
area of the ventrolateral hypothalamus in female guinea pigs. J
Neuroendocrinol 8: 673-685.
Al-Shamma HA, De Vries GJ (1996) Neurogenesis of the sexually
dimorphic vasopressin cells of the bed nucleus of the stria
terminalis and amygdala of rats. J Neurobiol 29: 91-98.
De Vries GJ, Villalba C (1997) Brain sexual dimorphism and sex
differences in parental and other social behaviors. In: The
Integrative Neurobiology of Affiliation, Carter CS, Kirkpatrick B,
Lederhendler II, eds., Ann NY Ac Sci 807: 273-286.
Wersinger SR, Rissman EF, Lubahn DB, Sannen K, Villalba C, De
Vries GJ, (1997) Estrogen receptor gene is required for masculine
sexual behavior. Horm Behav 32: 176-183.
Villalba C, Boyle PA, De Vries GJ (1997) Effects of the selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, on social behaviors in male
and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Horm
Behav 32: 184-191.
Ferris CF, De Vries GJ, (1997) Ethological models for examining
the neurobiology of aggressive and affiliative behaviors. In:
Handbook of Antisocial Behavior, Stoff DM, Breiling J, Maser JD,
eds., John Wiley and Sons. pp. 255-268.
De Vries GJ, Boyle PA (1998) Double duty for sex differences in
the brain. Behav Brain Res 92: 205-213.
Wang Z, Young LJ, De Vries GJ, Insel TR (1998) Voles and
vasopressin: a review of molecular, cellular and behavioral studies
of pair bonding and paternal behaviors . In:. Advances in Brain
Vasopressin. Prog Brain Res, Urban IJA, Burbach JPH, De Wied
D, eds., 119: 483-499.
De Vries GJ and Miller MA, (1998) Anatomy and function of
extrahypothalamic vasopressin systems in the brain. In: Advances in
Brain Vasopressin. Prog Brain Res, Urban IJA, Burbach JPH, De
Wied D, eds., 119: 3-20.
Delville Y, De Vries GJ, Roche JP, Schwartz WJ, and Ferris CF
(1998) Flank marking behavior and the neural distribution of
vasopressin innervation in golden hamsters with suprachiasmatic
lesions. Behav Neurosci 112:1486-501.
Huang L, De Vries GJ, Bittman EL (1998) Photoperiod regulates
neuronal bromodeoxyuridine labeling in the brain of a seasonally
breeding mammal. J Neurobiol 36: 410-420.
Wagner CK, Nakayama AY, De Vries GJ (1998) Potential role of
maternal progesterone in the sexual differentiation of the brain.
Endocrinology 139: 3658-3661.
Han TM, De Vries GJ (1999) Neurogenesis of galanin cells in the
bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and centromedial amygdala: A
model for sexual differentiation of neuronal phenotype. J
Neurobiol 38: 491-498.
Jin X, Shearman LP, Weaver DR, Zylka MJ, De Vries GJ, Reppert SM
(1999) A molecular mechanism regulating rhythmic output from the
suprachiasmatic circadian clock. Cell 96: 57-68.
Lonstein JS, De Vries GJ (1999) Sex differences in the parental
behavior of adult virgin prairie voles: independence from gonadal
hormones and vasopressin. J Neuroendocrinol, 11: 441-450.
Lonstein JS, De Vries GJ (1999) Comparison of the parental
behavior of pairbonded female and male prairie voles (Microtus
ochrogaster). Physiol Behav, 66: 33-40.
Villalba C, Auger CL, De Vries GJ (1999) Androstenedione effects
on the vasopressin innervation of the rat brain.
Endocrinology, 140: 3383-3386.
Selected earlier publications:
De Vries GJ, Buijs RM, Swaab DF (1981) Ontogeny of the
vasopressinergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus and their
extrahypothalamic projections in the rat brain - presence of a sex
difference in the lateral septum. Brain Res 218: 67-78.
De Vries GJ, Buijs RM (1983) The origin of the vasopressinergic
and oxytocinergic innervation of the rat brain; with special
reference to the lateral septum. Brain Res 273: 307-317.
De Vries GJ, De Bruin JPC, Uylings HBM, Corner MA, Editors (1984)
Sex Differences in the Brain. Relation Between Structure and
Function. Progress in Brain Res. Vol. 61, Elsevier, Amsterdam
pp 517.
De Vries GJ, Buijs RM, Van Leeuwen FW, Caffé AR, Swaab DF
(1985) The vasopressinergic innervation of the brain in normal and
castrated rats. J Comp Neurol 233: 236-254.
De Vries GJ (1990) Sex differences in neurotransmitters in the
brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2: 1-13.
De Vries GJ, Al-Shamma, HA. (1990) Sex differences in hormone
sensitivity of vasopressin pathways in the rat brain. J
Neurobiol 21: 686-693.
Bittman EL, Bartness TJ, Goldman BD, De Vries GJ (1991)
Suprachiasmatic and paraventricular control of photoperiodism in
Siberian hamsters. Am J Physiol 260: R90-R101.
Bamshad M, Novak MA, De Vries GJ (1993) Sex and species
differences in the vasopressin innervation of sexually naive and
parental prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow voles
(Microtus pennsylvanicus). J Neuroend 5: 247-255.
Wang ZX, Bullock NA, De Vries GJ (1993) Sexual differentiation of
vasopressin projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
and medial amygdaloid nucleus in rats. Endocrinology 132:
2299-2306.
De Vries GJ, Wang ZX, Bullock NA, Numan S (1994) Sex differences
in the effects of testosterone and its metabolites on vasopressin
messenger RNA levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of
rats. J Neurosci 14: 1789-1794.
Wang ZX, Ferris CF, De Vries GJ (1994) The role of septal
vasopressin innervation in paternal behavior in prairie voles
(Microtus ochrogaster). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:
400-404.
Zhou L, Blaustein JD, De Vries GJ (1994) Distribution of androgen
receptor immunoreactivity in vasopressin-immunoreactive and
oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the male rat brain.
Endocrinology 134: 2622-2627.
Bamshad M, Novak MA, De Vries GJ (1994) Cohabitation alters
vasopressin innervation and paternal behavior in prairie voles
(Microtus ochrogaster) Physiol Behav 56: 751-758.
Wang ZX, Smith W, Major DE, De Vries GJ (1994) Sex and species
differences in the effects of cohabitation on vasopressin messenger
RNA expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in prairie
voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow voles (Microtus
pennsylvanicus). Brain Res 650: 212-218.
De Vries GJ (1995) Studying neurotransmitter systems to understand
development and function of sex differences in the brain; the case of
vasopressin. In: Neurobiological Effects of Sex Steroid Hormones,
Micevych P, Hammer RP, eds., Cambridge University Press pp
254-278.
Wang ZX, De Vries GJ (1995) Differences in androgen and estrogen
actions on vasopressin mRNA expression in the medial amygdaloid
nucleus in male and female rats. J Neuroendocrinol 7:
827-831.
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