Seasonal changes in the synthesis of the neurosteroid 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone stimulating locomotor activity in newts.

We recently found that the newt brain actively produces 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, a novel amphibian neurosteroid stimulating locomotor activity. It is well known that locomotor activity of male newts increases during the breeding period. To understand the physiological role of 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, we investigated seasonal changes in 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain of male newts. Interestingly, 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain showed marked changes during the annual breeding cycle, with a maximal level in the breeding period when locomotor activity of male newts increases. These results suggest that 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone induces seasonal locomotor changes in male newts.