Aggressive behavior in male mice lacking the gene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase requires testosterone
1997; Elsevier BV; Volume: 769; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00688-4
ISSN1872-6240
AutoresLance J. Kriegsfeld, Valina L. Dawson, Valina L. Dawson, Randy J. Nelson, Solomon H. Snyder,
Tópico(s)Renin-Angiotensin System Studies
ResumoNitric oxide acts as a neural messenger in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Mice with targeted disruption of the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS−/−) are extremely aggressive relative to wild-type (WT) mice. Male nNOS−/− mice exhibit an increase in the number and duration of aggressive encounters compared to WT animals when tested in a variety of paradigms used to test rodent aggression. This inappropriate aggressive behavior has only been observed in male nNOS−/− mice; nNOS−/− females, like female WT mice, exhibit little or no aggression. The present study sought to test the dependence of increased aggressive behavior in nNOS−/− males on testosterone. Intact nNOS−/− males exhibited elevated levels of aggression relative to intact WT males. Castration reduced aggression in both WT and nNOS−/− males to equivalent low levels. Testosterone replacement restored aggression to precastration levels in both genotypes. These data provide evidence that increased aggressive behavior of nNOS−/− mice, like aggression in WT mice, is testosterone-dependent.
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