title: Pregnancy-related changes in connections from the cervix to forebrain and hypothalamus in mice.
abstract: The transneuronal tracer pseudorabies virus was used to test the hypothesis that connections from the cervix to the forebrain and hypothalamus are maintained with pregnancy. The virus was injected into the cervix of nonpregnant or pregnant mice, and, after 5 days, virus-labeled cells and fibers were found in specific forebrain regions and, most prominently, in portions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. With pregnancy, fewer neurons and fibers were evident in most brain regions compared to that in nonpregnant mice. In particular, little or no virus was found in the medial and ventral parvocellular subdivisions, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, or motor cortex in pregnant mice. By contrast, labeling of virus was sustained in the dorsal hypothalamus and suprachiasmatic nucleus in all groups. Based upon image analysis of digitized photomicrographs, the area with label in the rostral and medial parvocellular paraventricular nucleus and magnocellular subdivisions was significantly reduced in mice whose cervix was injected with virus during pregnancy than in nonpregnant mice. The findings indicate that connections from the cervix to brain regions that are involved in sensory input and integrative autonomic functions are reduced during pregnancy. The findings raise the possibility that remaining pathways from the cervix to the forebrain and hypothalamus may be important for control of pituitary neuroendocrine secretion, as well as for effector functions in the cervix as pregnancy nears term.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physiology, Center for Perinatal Biology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92354, USA. syellon@llu.edu
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yellon
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Grisham
authors.forename: Genevieve M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rambau
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lechuga
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kirby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
references.citation: Neurobiology (Bp). 1997;5(1):17-41
references.pmid: 9302693
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1993 Jun;13(6):2515-39
references.pmid: 8388923
references.citation: Brain Res Bull. 1983 May;10(5):647-52
references.pmid: 6307491
references.citation: J Perinat Med. 2009;37(4):313-9
references.pmid: 19292588
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1982 Apr 20;206(4):317-45
references.pmid: 7096631
references.citation: Cell Tissue Res. 1997 May;288(2):293-306
references.pmid: 9082965
references.citation: Am J Physiol. 1987 Jun;252(6 Pt 1):E799-802
references.pmid: 3591941
references.citation: Microsc Res Tech. 2004 Mar 1;63(4):244-52
references.pmid: 14988921
references.citation: Neurosci Lett. 1988 Jan 11;84(1):57-62
references.pmid: 3347371
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1998 Jun;84(3):935-52
references.pmid: 9579795
references.citation: Biol Reprod. 2008 Mar;78(3):438-44
references.pmid: 18003949
references.citation: Exp Physiol. 1992 May;77(3):405-31
references.pmid: 1321641
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1977 Oct 28;297:405-19
references.pmid: 100037
references.citation: Brain Res. 2002 Feb 8;927(1):18-26
references.pmid: 11814428
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 1987 May;96(2):443-55
references.pmid: 3569466
references.citation: Lancet. 1995 Dec 9;346(8989):1524-8
references.pmid: 7491048
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 1983;6:269-324
references.pmid: 6132586
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2000 Mar 20;418(4):484-503
references.pmid: 10713575
references.citation: Brain Res. 1995 Dec 8;702(1-2):251-4
references.pmid: 8846084
references.citation: Brain Res. 1996 Feb 5;708(1-2):128-34
references.pmid: 8720868
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1975 Mar 1;160(1):1-12
references.pmid: 803516
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1996 Jul;60(1):19-24
references.pmid: 8804637
references.citation: Front Neuroendocrinol. 2003 Jan;24(1):27-61
references.pmid: 12609499
references.citation: Microsc Res Tech. 2002 Jan 15;56(2):113-21
references.pmid: 11810714
references.citation: Brain Res. 1992 Mar 13;575(1):25-31
references.pmid: 1380393
references.citation: Prog Brain Res. 1983;60:19-29
references.pmid: 6198687
references.citation: Endocrinology. 1974 Nov;95(5):1486-90
references.pmid: 4473330
references.citation: Reproduction. 2009 Apr;137(4):739-48
references.pmid: 19158235
references.citation: J Neurosci Methods. 2000 Nov 15;103(1):51-61
references.pmid: 11074095
references.citation: Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 1998 Jun;25(6):474-8
references.pmid: 9673828
references.citation: Cell Tissue Res. 1999 Jan;295(1):43-54
references.pmid: 9931352
references.citation: Reproduction. 2010 Mar;139(3):645-53
references.pmid: 19965985
references.citation: Brain Res. 1999 Jun 5;830(2):358-71
references.pmid: 10366694
references.citation: Scand J Psychol. 2003 Jul;44(3):241-50
references.pmid: 12914587
references.citation: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Nov;191(5):1695-704
references.pmid: 15547544
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2003 Sep 8;464(1):36-48
references.pmid: 12866127
references.citation: Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2006 Aug 29;4:45
references.pmid: 16938139
references.citation: Biol Reprod. 1999 Oct;61(4):879-83
references.pmid: 10491619
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 2008 Apr;210(2):375-87
references.pmid: 18096159
references.citation: J Chem Neuroanat. 1991 Jan-Feb;4(1):63-78
references.pmid: 1707281
references.citation: Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1995 Jun;38(2):267-79
references.pmid: 7554594
references.citation: Brain Res. 1991 Jan 25;539(2):254-62
references.pmid: 1711393
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1984 Jun 10;226(1):1-20
references.pmid: 6547458
references.citation: Anat Embryol (Berl). 1998 Jan;197(1):51-67
references.pmid: 9462858
references.citation: J Soc Gynecol Investig. 2003 Sep;10(6):323-38
references.pmid: 12969775
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1990 Jul;10(7):2139-47
references.pmid: 1695943
references.citation: Brain Res Bull. 1990 Sep;25(3):365-71
references.pmid: 2292033
references.citation: Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1987;24(2):73-9
references.pmid: 3653786
references.citation: Neurosci Lett. 1978 Oct;9(4):329-32
references.pmid: 19605240
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1990 Jan 15;291(3):329-44
references.pmid: 2298937
references.citation: J Neurosci Res. 2001 Apr 1;64(1):53-60
references.pmid: 11276051
references.citation: Brain Res. 1987 Feb 17;403(2):398-402
references.pmid: 3828831
references.citation: Biol Reprod. 2002 Sep;67(3):1013-7
references.pmid: 12193415
references.citation: Am J Physiol. 1993 Apr;264(4 Pt 1):E534-40
references.pmid: 8476031
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 2002 Dec 1;186 Suppl 2:S209-14
references.pmid: 12424699
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1984 Feb;51(2):260-75
references.pmid: 6323643
references.citation: Brain Res. 2001 Jul 20;908(1):10-24
references.pmid: 11457427
references.citation: J Soc Gynecol Investig. 2005 Dec;12(8):578-85
references.pmid: 16325747
references.citation: J Biol Rhythms. 1998 Apr;13(2):100-12
references.pmid: 9554572
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 1984 Oct;64(4):503-9
references.pmid: 6384845