Developmental changes in hypothalamic oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mRNA expression and their sensitivity to fasting in male and female rats

作者：Matsuzaki Toshiya^*; Iwasa Takeshi; Munkhzaya Munkhsaikhan; Tungalagsuvd Altankhuu; Kawami Takako; Murakami Masahiro; Yamasaki Mikio; Yamamoto Yuri; Kato Takeshi; Kuwahara Akira; Yasui Toshiyuki; Irahara Minoru

来源：International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 2015, 41(1): 105-109.

DOI：10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.01.001

• Oxytocin
• Estrogen receptor-alpha
• Hypothalamus

Oxytocin (OT) affects the central nervous system and is involved in a variety of social and non-social behaviors. Recently, the role played by OT in energy metabolism and its organizational effects on estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) during the neonatal period have gained attention. In this study, the developmental changes in the hypothalamic mRNA levels of OT, the OT receptor (OTR), and ER-alpha were evaluated in male and female rats. In addition, the fasting-induced changes in the hypothalamic mRNA levels of OT and the OTR were evaluated. Hypothalamic explants were taken from postnatal day (PND) 10, 20, and 30 rats, and the mRNA level of each molecule was measured. Hypothalamic OT mRNA expression increased throughout the developmental period in both sexes. The rats' hypothalamic OTR mRNA levels were highest on PND 10 and decreased throughout the developmental period. In the male rats, the hypothalamic mRNA levels of ER-alpha were higher on PND 30 than on PND 10. On the other hand, no significant differences in hypothalamic ER-alpha mRNA expression were detected among the examined time points in the female rats, although hypothalamic ER-alpha mRNA expression tended to be higher on PND 30 than on PND 10. Significant positive correlations were detected between hypothalamic OT and ER-alpha mRNA expression in both the male and female rats. Hypothalamic OT mRNA expression was not affected by fasting at any of the examined time points in either sex. These results indicate that hypothalamic OT expression is not sensitive to fasting during the developmental period. In addition, as a positive correlation was detected between hypothalamic OT and ER-alpha mRNA expression, these two molecules might interact with each other to induce appropriate neuronal development.

• 出版日期2015-4