title: Oxytocin is elevated in plasma of 10-day-old rats following gastric distension.
abstract: In adult rats, oxytocin (OT) has been shown to reduce the intake of both food and fluids, and oxytocinergic cells are activated by gastric distension and administration of the intestinal peptide cholecystokinin (CCK-8). These and other findings indicate that OT can play a role in inhibiting ingestion under some conditions. A previous study has shown, however, that oxytocinergic cells are unresponsive to CCK-8 in 2-day-old rats. We report here that OT is elevated in the plasma of 10-day-old rats after induction of gastric distension with both mother's milk and saline. These results indicate that the vagal-hypothalamic axis becomes mature between 2- and 10-days of age in infant rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Alberts
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Verbalis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000097:blood*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013270:Stomach / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D010121:Oxytocin; D012844:Sincalide