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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Neuroendocrinol. 2013 Nov;25(11):1002–1011. doi: 10.1111/jne.12105

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Proposed relationship between pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR), 3α,5α-THP, and target substrates that may be involved in biosynthesis of 3α,5α-THP in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) with mating, including oestradiol role via oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ). Moreover, 3α,5α-THP is a ligand of PXR and, thus, may activate PXR to underlie behaviour (mating) induced neurosteroidogenesis. 3α,5α-THP has novel membrane targets including GABAA, dopamine type 1 (D1), NMDA and membrane progestin receptors (mPRs) that are important for actions of 3α,5α-THP in the VTA for processes underlying homeostasis, such as stress responding, motivated behaviors and plasticity (e.g. brain-derived neurotrophic factor; BDNF).