TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1997//
TI  - Aggressive behavior in male mice lacking the gene for neuronal nitric oxide synthase requires testosterone
JO  - Brain research
A1  - Kriegsfeld, L. J.
A1  - Dawson, T. M.
A1  - Dawson, V. L.
A1  - Nelson, Randy J.
A1  - Snyder, S. H.
SP  - 66
EP  - 70
VL  - 769
IS  - 1
N2  - Nitric 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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0006-8993
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -