First Advisor

Leonard Simpson

Date of Publication

7-9-1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Biology

Department

Biology

Language

English

Subjects

Tryptophan, Progesterone, Estrogen, Mesencephalon, Guinea pigs -- Physiology

DOI

10.15760/etd.7193

Physical Description

1 online resource (2, vii, 64 p.)

Abstract

Progesterone stimulates prolactin secretion in estrogen ( estradiol-17-~)primed monkeys and guinea pigs. It is hypothesized that the serotonin neural system plays a pivotol role in mediating the effect of progesterone on prolactin secretion. Indeed, progesterone, but not estrogen, increases serotonin levels in the midbrain raphe in guinea pigs. However, estrogen alone stimulates gene expression of the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), and progesterone supplement to the estrogen regimen has no additive effect, as indicated by TPH mRNA levels in monkeys. The discrepancy between ovarian steroid effects on the TPH mRNA level and the serotonin level might be due to actions of progesterone on post-transcripitonal processing of the TPH gene. In this experiment, TPH protein levels were measured in the midbrain raphe in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were ovariectomized (OVX; n=5), estrogen-treated (28 d; n=6), and estrogen plus progesterone-treated (14 d of estrogen and 14 day of estrogen plus progesterone; n=5). Western analysis by chemiluminescence with densitometric analysis was performed to detect and measure TPH protein levels. Hypothalamic levels of neurotransmitters were also measured with high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that estrogen increased the TPH protein level significantly compared to the OVX group (p

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to pdxscholar@pdx.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/30600

Download

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

COinS