title: Differently shaped spines increase in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of oxytocin knockout female mice.
abstract: The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is a sexually dimorphic area in the social behavior neural network, with high concentration of oxytocin (OT) receptors. Wild type (WT) and OT knockout (OTKO) females were studied in proestrus, and Golgi-impregnated spines in the MePD were classified. Results show that the OTKO group has increased density of thin, mushroom, and stubby/wide spines when compared to the WT (p<0.01 in all cases). These data indicate that OT is an important synaptic modulator in the MePD, a finding that is likely involved with the display of the female sexual behavior.
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberta Oriques
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dall'Oglio
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rigatto
authors.affiliation: Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: giovenardi.marcia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovenardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Physiology, Federal University of Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Graduation Program in Neurosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: rasiafilho@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Alberto A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rasia-Filho
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000502:physiology*; D011359:Proestrus; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C576074:OXTR protein, mouse; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Extended amygdala; OTKO; Spine shape; Synaptic plasticity