Sex-dimorphic oxytocin regulation of CA1-dependent spatial memory and synaptic plasticity in juvenile rats.

ABSTRACT: Research into memory mechanisms has predominantly centered on adult male rodents, often overlooking the influences of sex and developmental stage. Memory processes vary significantly between juveniles and adults, with sex acting as a critical determinant. Oxytocin (OXT) has emerged as a key modulator of fear responses and extinction in a sex-dependent manner, with prepubertal females displaying OXT-dependent contextual extinction patterns akin to adult males. These differences likely stem from diverse trajectories of hippocampal and prefrontal cortex maturation. This study examines the CA1 region's involvement in object location memory (OLM), social recognition memory (SRM), and synaptic plasticity among juvenile male and female rats, focusing on OXT's role. Results reveal that, in juvenil

SUBMITTER: Shehadeh E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12648793 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature