Dr. Elaine Hull
Professor
Ph.D., Indiana University
Office: B-71 Park Hall
Phone: (716) 645-3650 x. 671
E-mail (will open in a new window)

Click here for Dr. Hull's personally-maintained web site

Summary of Research Interests:

My research program investigates the neuroendocrine control of male rat sexual behavior. We have shown that dopamine is released in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) as soon as a male rat encounters a receptive female; release is further increased during copulation. Stimulation of dopamine receptors in the MPOA controls genital reflexes and sexual motivation. This brain area is essential for male sexual behavior in all vertebrate species that have been studied, from fish through humans. Testosterone promotes both basal and female-elicited dopamine release in the MPOA, in part, by up-regulating nitric oxide synthase. We have also shown that serotonin is released in the anterior lateral hypothalamus at the time of ejaculation and contributes to the postejaculatory sexual quiescence, in part by decreasing mesolimbic dopamine release.

Representative Publications:

• Hull, E.M., Meisel, R.L., & Sachs, B.D. (in press) Male sexual behavior. In: Hormones, Brain and Behavior, D.W. Pfaff, Editor-in-Chief, Academic Press.
  
• Putnam, S.K., Du, J., & Hull, E.M. (2001) Testosterone restoration of copulation and medial preoptic dopamine release in castrated male rats: 2-, 5-, and 10-day treatments. Hormones and Behavior, 39: 216-224.
  
• Dominguez, J., Riolo, J.V., Xu, Z. & Hull, E.M. (2001) Regulation by the medial amygdala of copulation and medial preoptic dopamine release. Journal of Neuroscience, 21:349- 355.
  
• Lorrain, D.S., Matuszewich, L., Riolo, J. V., & Hull, E. M. (1999) Lateral hypothalamic serotonin inhibits nucleus accumbens dopamine: Implications for sexual satiety. Journal of Neuroscience, 19:7648-7652.
  
• Hull, E. M., Lorrain, D. S., Du, J., Matuszewich, L., Lumley, L. A., Putnam, S. K., & Moses, J. (1999) Hormone-Neurotransmitter interactions in the control of sexual behavior. Behavioral Brain Research, Special issue on Neurobiology of Sexual Behavior, 105:105-116.
  
• Lorrain, D. S., Matuszewich, L., Friedman, R., & Hull, E. M. (1997). Extracellular serotonin in the lateral hypothalamic area is increased during the postejaculatory interval and impairs copulation in male rats. Journal of Neuroscience, 17: 9361- 9366.