Sexual responses of the male rat medial preoptic area and medial amygdala to estrogen II: Site specific effects of selective estrogenic drugs

► Selective estrogenic drugs were put in male rat medial preoptic area (MPO) or medial amygdala (MEA). ► In MPO, ERα agonists promoted, ERα antagonists inhibited and ERβ agonists did not support mating. ► In MEA, estradiol, but not ERα agonists or ERβ agonists, supported mating. ► ERα mediates the sexual response of the male rat MPO to estrogen. ► The MEA responds differently to estrogen than the MPO and neither ERα nor ERβ alone mediate mating.