CNS-specific ablation of steroidogenic factor 1 results in impaired female reproductive function.

ABSTRACT: The ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) regulates a variety of homeostatic processes including female sexual behavior and reproduction. In the current study, we assessed the roles of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) on reproductive function in the VMH using central nervous system-specific SF-1 knockout (SF-1 KO(nCre;F/-)) mice. Here we show that SF-1 KO(nCre;F/-) females exhibited marked impairment in female reproduction. Although male mice appeared to be normal in all aspects studied, including sexual behavior, SF-1 KO(nCre;F/-) females showed infertility or subfertility. Although adult SF-1 KO(nCre;F/-) females showed decreased or lacked corpora lutea, exogenous administration of gonadotropins induced the formation of multiple corpora lutea and induced normal ovulation, demonstrating th

SUBMITTER: Kim KW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2875803 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature