# CNS OXYTOCIN CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH MATING

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 1993 · $133,936

## Abstract

The nonapeptide oxytocin (OXY) is a pivotal hormone in the central response
to mating in male and female rodents.  The brain of both sexes show
dramatic changes in OXY immunoreactivity and topography during and after
mating.  This proposal will pursue the questions of how CNS physiological
dynamics such as peptide synthesis, release and content account for the
changes seen in OXY immunoreactivity during sexual interaction.  In vivo
microdialysis and in situ hybridization techniques have recently been
mastered in this laboratory and they will be utilized to detect changes in
OXY release and gene expression across time after sexual interaction.

This proposal will also try to determine what aspects of sexual behavior
are controlled by CNS OXY.  Since central OXY administration has been shown
to alter both female and male sexual behaviors, this proposal will attempt
to determine whether blocking OXY systems with either antisera or
antagonist analogues given centrally results in decrements in any
particular aspect of sexual interactions.  OXY blocking agents will also be
used to analyze the importance of an intact OXY system to optimal fertility
rates.  This proposal will begin the task of how OXY affects sexual
behaviors and how OXY and the behaviors affect fertility.  The long-term
goal of this work is to integrate these findings with the myriad other
behavioral and physiological effects of OXY in an attempt to determine how
this hormone, that is at the core of reproductive physiology, manipulates
behavioral and endocrine systems to accomplish reproduction.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2199047
- **Project number:** 5R01HD024086-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **SAM.gov UEI:** D3LHU66KBLD5
- **Principal Investigator:** JACK D CALDWELL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $133,936
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1990-01-01 → 1994-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2199047

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2199047, CNS OXYTOCIN CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH MATING (5R01HD024086-04). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2199047. Licensed CC0.

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