title: Oxytocin within auditory nuclei: a neuromodulatory function in sensory processing?
abstract: Oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in social bonding, ultrasonic vocalizations and other sexual behaviors in mammalian species. Although its presence within neuroendocrine regions in the forebrain is well established, its association with sensory nuclei remains unclear. We report here the presence of oxytocin immunoreactive neurons within several nuclei in the auditory brain stem of the mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii. Immunocytochemical procedures revealed OT-immunoreactive perikarya and/or fiber terminals in restricted areas of the inferior colliculus (IC), superior olivary complex (SOC), including the medial and ventral nuclei of the trapezoid body, and in the cochlear nucleus. Perikarya were labeled predominantly in the IC and SOC and both perikarya and fiber terminals were labeled extensively in the cochlear nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington DC, 20057-1460, USA. kanwalj@giccs.georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Jagmeet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kanwal
authors.forename: P D Prasada
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D017626:Cochlear Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004455:Echolocation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007245:Inferior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012919:Social Behavior; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin