Participation of the nitric oxide pathway in lordosis induced by apelin-13 in female rats.

Abstract

The present study investigated the participation of the nitric oxide pathway in facilitating lordosis behavior induced by intrahypothalamic administration of apelin-13 in ovariectomized rats primed with estradiol benzoate (EB). The experiments involved the administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (L-NAME) or a nitric oxide-dependent, soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (ODQ), and an inhibitor of protein kinase G (KT5823) to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of EB-primed rats 30 min before infusion of apelin-13 (0.75 μg/μl). This dose of apelin-13 consistently induces lordosis behavior at 30 min, 120 min, and 240 min following infusion. Results showed that injections of either L-NAME or KT5823 significantly reduced the lordosis induced by apelin at 120 and 240 min. However, VMH infusion of ODQ 30 min before apelin-13 infusion reduced but did not significantly inhibit, the lordosis elicited by this peptide at the same time points. We conclude that the nitric oxide pathway in the VMH plays an important role in lordosis induced by apelin-13 in EB-primed rats.

• Authors: Ailyn Luna-Hernández, Marcos García-Juárez, Jonathan Palafox-Moreno, Berenice Téllez-Angulo, Raymundo Domínguez-Ordóñez, James G Pfaus, Oscar González-Flores
• Journal: Hormones and behavior (Horm Behav) Vol. 156 Pg. 105449 (Nov 2023) ISSN: 1095-6867 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 37922678 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
• Nitric Oxide
• apelin-13 peptide
• Estradiol

Topics

• Rats
• Female
• Animals
• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (pharmacology)
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Lordosis (chemically induced)
• Sexual Behavior, Animal (physiology)
• Estradiol (pharmacology)