title: Developmental changes in hypothalamic oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mRNA expression and their sensitivity to fasting in male and female rats.
abstract: Oxytocin (OT) affects the central nervous system and is involved in a variety of social and non-social behaviors. Recently, the role played by OT in energy metabolism and its organizational effects on estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) during the neonatal period have gained attention. In this study, the developmental changes in the hypothalamic mRNA levels of OT, the OT receptor (OTR), and ER-α were evaluated in male and female rats. In addition, the fasting-induced changes in the hypothalamic mRNA levels of OT and the OTR were evaluated. Hypothalamic explants were taken from postnatal day (PND) 10, 20, and 30 rats, and the mRNA level of each molecule was measured. Hypothalamic OT mRNA expression increased throughout the developmental period in both sexes. The rats' hypothalamic OTR mRNA levels were highest on PND 10 and decreased throughout the developmental period. In the male rats, the hypothalamic mRNA levels of ER-α were higher on PND 30 than on PND 10. On the other hand, no significant differences in hypothalamic ER-α mRNA expression were detected among the examined time points in the female rats, although hypothalamic ER-α mRNA expression tended to be higher on PND 30 than on PND 10. Significant positive correlations were detected between hypothalamic OT and ER-α mRNA expression in both the male and female rats. Hypothalamic OT mRNA expression was not affected by fasting at any of the examined time points in either sex. These results indicate that hypothalamic OT expression is not sensitive to fasting during the developmental period. In addition, as a positive correlation was detected between hypothalamic OT and ER-α mRNA expression, these two molecules might interact with each other to induce appropriate neuronal development.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. Electronic address: mat@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors: Toshiya
authors: T
authors: Matsuzaki
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Iwasa
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Munkhsaikhan
authors: M
authors: Munkhzaya
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Altankhuu
authors: A
authors: Tungalagsuvd
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Takako
authors: T
authors: Kawami
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Murakami
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Mikio
authors: M
authors: Yamasaki
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Yuri
authors: Y
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Kato
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Kuwahara
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Yasui
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cho Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Irahara
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Estrogen receptor-α; Hypothalamus; Oxytocin