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. 2014 Mar 11;9(3):e91151. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091151

Figure 1. Effect of gonadectomy and sex steroid replacement on presynaptic dopamine transporter and dopamine receptor mRNA expression in the substantia nigra of adolescent male rats.

Figure 1

DAT (A) and VMAT (B) mRNA expression were increased by androgens but not by 17β-estradiol replacement. (C) DRD2 pan, (D) DRD2 short and (E) DRD2 long mRNAs were increased by testosterone and DHT replacement relative to Intact and Gdx groups. 17β-estradiol replacement had no effect on DRD2pan, D2S or D2L mRNA levels. (F) DRD3 mRNA was decreased by testosterone and DHT replacement relative to Gdx. 17β-estradiol replacement had no effect on DRD3 mRNA. (G) DRD1 mRNA was increased by DHT replacement relative to Gdx. Testosterone and 17β- estradiol replacement had no effect on DRD1 mRNA expression. (H) DRD5 mRNA was increased by testosterone replacement relative to Intact and Gdx groups and increased by DHT and 17β-estradiol replacement relative to the Gdx group. * denotes comparison with Intact, unless comparison is indicated by a line, # denotes comparison with the Gdx group, * and # p<0.05, ** and ## p<0.01, *** and ### p<0.001, n = 12–15/group.