TY - JOUR
T1 - Estrogen receptors α and β mediate different aspects of the facilitatory effects of female cues on male risk taking
AU - Kavaliers, Martin
AU - Devidze, Nino
AU - Choleris, Elena
AU - Fudge, Melissa
AU - Gustafsson, Jan Åke
AU - Korach, Kenneth S.
AU - Pfaff, Donald W.
AU - Ogawa, Sonoko
N1 - Funding Information:
Jan-Ake Gustafsson is a shareholder, research grant receiver and consultant of KaroBio AB.
Funding Information:
This study has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada RO557A01(MK), 045881 (EC), NIH MH36273 (DWD), and NIMH 62147 (SO).
Funding Information:
Supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (MK, EC), NIH MH36273 (DWD) and NIMH 62147 (SO).
PY - 2008/6
Y1 - 2008/6
N2 - Male risk taking and decision making are affected by sex-related cues, with men making poorer and riskier decisions in the presence of females and, or their cues. In non-human species, female cues can also increase male risk taking, reducing their responses to predator threat. As estrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ) are involved in the mediation of social and sexual responses, we investigated their roles in determining the effects of female-associated cues on male risk taking. We examined the effects of brief pre-exposure to the odors of either a novel or familiar estrous female on the avoidance of, and aversive responses to, predator threat (cat odor) in ERα and ERβ wild type (αERWT, βERWT) and gene-deleted (knockout, αERKO, βERKO) male mice. Exposure of αERWT and βERWT males to the odors of a novel, but not a familiar, estrous female mouse resulted in enhanced risk taking with the males displaying reduced avoidance of, and analgesic responses to, cat odor. In contrast, αERKO male mice failed to show any changes in risk taking, while βERKO males, although displaying greater risk taking, did not distinguish between novel and familiar females, displaying similarly reduced avoidance responses to cat odor after exposure to either a novel or familiar female odor. These findings indicate that the gene for ERα is associated with the sexual mechanisms (response to estrous female) and the genes for ERβ and ERα with the social (recognition of novel female) mechanisms underlying the effects of female cues on male risk taking.
AB - Male risk taking and decision making are affected by sex-related cues, with men making poorer and riskier decisions in the presence of females and, or their cues. In non-human species, female cues can also increase male risk taking, reducing their responses to predator threat. As estrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ) are involved in the mediation of social and sexual responses, we investigated their roles in determining the effects of female-associated cues on male risk taking. We examined the effects of brief pre-exposure to the odors of either a novel or familiar estrous female on the avoidance of, and aversive responses to, predator threat (cat odor) in ERα and ERβ wild type (αERWT, βERWT) and gene-deleted (knockout, αERKO, βERKO) male mice. Exposure of αERWT and βERWT males to the odors of a novel, but not a familiar, estrous female mouse resulted in enhanced risk taking with the males displaying reduced avoidance of, and analgesic responses to, cat odor. In contrast, αERKO male mice failed to show any changes in risk taking, while βERKO males, although displaying greater risk taking, did not distinguish between novel and familiar females, displaying similarly reduced avoidance responses to cat odor after exposure to either a novel or familiar female odor. These findings indicate that the gene for ERα is associated with the sexual mechanisms (response to estrous female) and the genes for ERβ and ERα with the social (recognition of novel female) mechanisms underlying the effects of female cues on male risk taking.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Boldness
KW - Decision making
KW - Fear
KW - Predator odor
KW - Sexual motivation
KW - Social behavior
KW - Social recognition
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=42749090009&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.02.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 18374493
AN - SCOPUS:42749090009
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 33
SP - 634
EP - 642
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
IS - 5
ER -