Sex-Specific Effects of Stress on Oxytocin Neurons Correspond With Responses to Intranasal Oxytocin.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Oxytocin (OT) is considered to be a stress-buffering hormone, dampening the physiologic effects of stress. However, OT can also be anxiogenic. We examined acute and long-lasting effects of social defeat on OT neurons in male and female California mice.

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry for OT and c-fos cells to examine OT neuron activity immediately after defeat (n = 6-9) and 2 weeks (n = 6-9) and 10 weeks (n = 4-5) later. We quantified Oxt messenger RNA with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 5-9). Intranasal OT was administered to naïve and stressed mice tested in social interaction and resident-intruder tests (n = 8-14).

Results

Acute exposure to a third episode of defeat increased OT/c-fos colocalizations in the paraventricular nucleus of bo

SUBMITTER: Steinman MQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4837091 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature