Preoptic region

Administration of H2-receptor agonists and antagonists in rats had no effect on sleep-wakefulness (Monti et al., 1986,1990). Although local application of impromidine (1 pg in 1 pi), an H2 receptor agonist, into the preoptic region of the cat mimicked the effects of HA in inducing wakefulness, local application of impromidine (0.2 pg in 0.25 pi) in the pontine tegmentum had little effect. 

Ribeiro, A. C. Kapas, L. (1999). Nitric oxide in the preoptic region modulates sleep. Sleep Res. Online 2 (Suppl. 1), 75. 

Numan, M. and Callahan, E.C. (1980) The connections of the medial preoptic region and maternal behavior in the rat. Physiol Behav 25 653-665. 

Numan, M., Corodimas, K.P., Numan, M.J., Factor, E.M., and Piers, WD. (1988) Axon-sparing lesions of the preoptic region and substantia innominata disrupt maternal behavior in rats. Behav Neu-rosct 102 381-396. 

Simerly RB, Zee MC, Pendleton JW, Lubahn DB, Korach KS (1995) Estrogen receptor-dependent differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in the preoptic region of the mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 94 14077-14082. 

Preoptic region and hypothalamus Lateral preoptic area Medial preoptic area Medial preoptic nucleus Magnocellular preoptic nucleus Suprachiasmatic nucleus Supraoptic nucleus Anterior hypothalamic area Lateral hypothalamic area Periventricular nucleus Paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus Arcuate nucleus Dorsal hypothalamic area Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus Dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus Compact part Tuber cinereum Posterior hypothalamic area Premammillary nucleus Supramammillary nucleus Medial mammillary nucleus Lateral mammillary nucleus... 

Barros, R. C., Branco. L. G-, and Carnio, H. C. (2004). Evidence for thermoregulation by dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the anlcrovenlral preoptic region during nonnoxia and hypoxia. Brain Res. 1030, 165-171. 

Further tissue-specific effects were observed in membrane preparations obtained from capsaicin-desensitized rats. The basal adenylate cyclase activity was dramatically increased in the preoptic hypothalamus of these animals but unchanged in the cerebellum or cortex. Moreover, in the cerebellum, normal stimulatory responses were obtained, whereas in the preoptic region not only did capsaicin desensitization cause a failure in the ability of capsaicin to stimulate adenylate cyclase in vitro, but it also produced an inhibition of the augmented basal enzyme activity (Jancso and Wollemann, 1977). Prior exposure of cortical membranes to capsaicin in vitro was also found to increase basal adenylate cyclase activity, and this effect was found to be dependent on calcium ions (Horvath et ai, 1979). 

Phytoestrogens have also been shown to have behavioural effects in rodents including increases in sexual activity (Patisaul et al, 2001) and a reversal of sex-specific behaviours (Lund et al, 2001 Flynn et al, 2000). In rodents, the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is located in the hypothalamic region of the brain. This area of the brain controls... 

By contrast, the accessory olfactory system is thought to be involved in the detection of odors that influence a variety of reproductive and aggressive behaviors (Keverne 1999). Sensory neurons are located in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and detect pheromones which gain access to the VNO by a pumping mechanism (Meredith and O Connell, 1979). VNO neurons send projections to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Mitral cells of the AOB project in turn to the medial nucleus of the amygdala olfactory information is then dispatched to several hypothalamic regions such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the medial preoptic area and the ventromedial hypothalamus (Scalia and Winans 1975). 

A neural circuit composed of several regions of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, medial preoptic area, hypothalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, ventral striatum, and other interconnected structures has been implicated in emotion regiflation including the associated affective... 

The junction between the MPOA and lateral preoptic areas is the ventral part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ventral BST), and excitotoxic lesions disrupt retrieval behaviors and other aspects of maternal behavior in postpartum rats (Numan and Numan, 1996). Strong ventral BST projections to the lateral septum, substantia innominata, PVN, VTA, periaque-dutal gray matter, retrorubral field, and the region surrounding the locus coeruleus (Numan and Numan, 1996). 

Kendrick, K.M., Keverne, E.B., Hinton, M.R., and Goode J.A. (1992) Oxytocin, amino acid and monoamine release in the region of the medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the sheep during parturition and suckling. Brain Res 569 199-209. 

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