Blockade of androgen receptors is sufficient to alter the sexual differentiation of the substantia nigra pars reticulata seizure-controlling network

The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) controls seizures in a sex-specific manner. At postnatal day 15 (P15), SNR infusion of GABA_A receptor agonist muscimol have proconvulsant effects in males but not in females. In males, administration of an androgen receptor antagonist flutamide between P0-P2 led to the disappearance of the proconvulsant muscimol effects at P15. Thus, activation of androgen receptors is important for the presence of proconvulsant SNR muscimol responses.