Hippocampus Oxytocin Signaling Promotes Prosocial Eating in Rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Oxytocin (OT) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in diverse physiological and behavioral functions, including social-based behavior and food intake control. The extent to which OT's role in regulating these 2 fundamental behaviors is interconnected is unknown, which is a critical gap in knowledge given that social factors have a strong influence on eating behavior in mammals. Here, we focus on OT signaling in the dorsal hippocampus (HPCd), a brain region recently linked to eating and social memory, as a candidate system where these functions overlap.

Methods

HPCd OT signaling gain- and loss-of-function strategies were used in male Sprague Dawley rats that were trained in a novel social eating procedure to consume their first nocturnal meal under conditions th

SUBMITTER: Rea JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11743826 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature