C-fos expression pattern in the hypothalamus and the preoptic area of the rat during proestrus.
c-fos gene expression in the hypothalamus, the preoptic area, the hippocampus and the frontal cerebral cortex of the rat was determined every two hours from 09:00 h to 19:00 h on the day of proestrus by using reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction. Rats under a 14:10 h light-dark cycle, with lights on at 06:00 h were used. We found a marked increase in c-fos gene expression in the studied regions but the hippocampus at 13:00 h, followed by a significant diminution in the subsequent hours of proestrus day. The high expression of c-fos gene at 13:00 could be associated to the increase in estradiol seric levels observed both at 11:00 h and at 13:00 h. Our results correlate with the increase in the number of FOS immunoreactive cells in some forebrain areas in proestrus afternoon related to gonadotropin releasing hormone secretion.
Camacho-Arroyo
I
I
Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF. igcar@servidor.unam.mx
Guerra-Araiza
C
C
Domínguez
R
R
Mendoza-Rodríguez
C A
CA
Cruz
M E
ME
Cerbón
M A
MA
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D016762:Genes, fos; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000378:metabolism*; D011359:Proestrus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012333:RNA, Messenger