Figure 3.

Effects of acute activation of ERα and ERβ on the frequency of RCSMs. A–E, Blockade of local estrogen synthesis by the aromatase inhibitor VOR (50 μg) inhibits RCSM frequency within 30 min. The behavioral inhibition induced by acute estrogen deprivation is prevented by the highest doses of the specific agonist of ERβ, DPN (2, 10, and 50 μg; B–D), but not its lowest dose (0.4 μg; A). Similarly, the administration of both PPT and DPN prevents the behavioral inhibition induced by VOR (E). However, the ERα agonist PPT alone has no effect at any of the doses tested (A–E). F, The ERα antagonist has no effect on behavioral frequencies. The Pre and Post black bars provide reference behavior frequencies after vehicle intracerebroventricular injections performed before and after the acute treatments, but these data are not included in the statistical analyses. Δp < 0.05, ΔΔp < 0.01, and ΔΔΔp < 0.001 versus vehicle (Veh); *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001 versus VOR; #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01, and ###p 0.001 versus VOR + PPT by Newman–Keuls post hoc tests after identification of a significant treatment effect (repeated measure; A, B, D, n = 10; C, n = 12; E, n = 9; F, n = 9) by two-way ANOVA.