Figure 5.

Rapid changes in aromatase activity (AA) in preoptic-hypothalamic explants of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) in which the cumulative enzymatic activity is measured every 5 minutes based on the release of tritiated water from tritiated androstenedione. Enzymatic activity was measured in paired hypothalamic explants incubated in vitro in which one explant was exposed for 10 minutes (between 20 [up arrow] and 30 [down arrow] min) (A) to thapsigargin, a lactone that mobilizes intracellular calcium ion (Ca²⁺) stores, (B) to kainate, or (C) to kainate associated or not with a preincubation with the non-NMDA glutamate antagonist NBQX. All data are expressed in percentage of basal release, defined as the activity during the period preceding the experimental manipulation (15–20 min). All data are means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Redrawn from data in Balthazart et al. (2001, 2006).