Mating modifies c-fos expression in the brain of male and female rabbits

Copulation in rabbits provokes behavioral and neuroendocrine changes in bot h sexes. To investigate if the activity of particular brain regions is modi fied accordingly we quantified, by the reverse transcription-polymerase cha in reaction method, c-fos expression in the preoptic area, hypothalamus, hi ppocampus, and frontal cortex of male and female rabbits before mating, imm ediately afterwards, and 1 h later. Mating immediately increased c-fos expr ession in the hypothalamus of both sexes, the frontal cortex of females, an d the preoptic area of males. c-fos expression did not change in the hippoc ampus after mating in either sex but decreased in the preoptic area of fema les following mating. Results show that mating provokes changes in brain ac tivity, in a gender- and region-specific manner, which may underlie the beh avioral and endocrine consequences of copulation in rabbits. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.