Steroidal influences on oxytocin neurones.
Oxytocin is essential for successful lactation. Without it, a babe that sucks at a nipple will go hungry, even if the breast at which it sucks is engorged with milk. In lactating rats, oxytocin cells respond to suckling with brief, explosive, synchronous bursts of electrical activity (Lincoln & Wakerley, 1974). This behaviour is not observed in virgin rats even in response to stimuli that strongly excite oxytocin cells, and is not even observed in lactating rats in response to any stimulus other than suckling.
Leng
G
G
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK. gareth.leng@ed.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013256:Steroids / Q000502:physiology*
D013256:Steroids; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D010121:Oxytocin