The organizational effects of oxytocin on the central expression of estrogen receptor alpha and oxytocin in adulthood.
BMC Neurosci
; 8: 71, 2007 Sep 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17825097
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Previous studies have demonstrated that neonatal manipulation of oxytocin (OT) has effects on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) and the central production of oxytocin observed in juveniles (at weaning, 21 days of age). The goal of this study was to determine whether the effects of neonatal manipulation of OT last into adulthood, and if the effects differ from those observed during the early postnatal period. On the first day of life, prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) received one of three doses of OT (High, 3 microg; Med, 0.3 microg; Low, 0.03 microg), an OT antagonist, or isotonic saline. Another group was handled, but not injected. Then as adults, brains were collected, sectioned, and stained for ER alpha or OT using immunocytochemistry.RESULTS:
In females, treatment with OT increased the expression of ER alpha immunoreactivity in the ventral lateral septum (0.03 microg) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and central amygdala (0.3 microg). In males, OT antagonist increased ER alpha expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. There was no apparent effect of OT on the number of cells producing OT in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.CONCLUSION:
The current results suggest that neonatal manipulation of OT has long-term organizational effects on the expression of ER alpha in both males and females. The lack of effect on OT neurons in the paraventricular nucleus suggests that some developmental effects of OT previously observed in weanlings do not persist into adulthood. Developmental effects of OT on ER alpha patterns were sexually dimorphic, dose-dependent, and site-specific.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Encéfalo
/
Envelhecimento
/
Ocitocina
/
Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento
/
Receptor alfa de Estrogênio
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Neurosci
Assunto da revista:
NEUROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2007
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos