title: Suckling induced activation pattern in the brain of rat pups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to understand the effects of suckling on the brain of the pups by mapping their brain activation pattern in response to suckling.
  
  
  METHODS
  The c-fos method was applied to identify activated neurons. Fasted rat pups were returned to their mothers for suckling and sacrificed 2 hours later for Fos immunohistochemistry. Double labeling was also performed to characterize some of the activated neurons. For comparison, another group of fasted pups were given dry food before Fos mapping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After suckling, we found an increase in the number of Fos-immunoreactive neurons in the insular and somatosensory cortices, central amygdaloid nucleus (CAm), paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei, lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and the area postrema. Double labeling experiments demonstrated the activation of calcitonin gene-related peptide-ir (CGRP-ir) neurons in the LPB, corticotropin-releasing hormone-ir (CRH-ir) but not oxytocin-ir neurons in the PVN, and noradrenergic neurons in the NTS. In the CAm, Fos-ir neurons did not contain CRH but were apposed to CGRP-ir fiber terminals. Refeeding with dry food-induced Fos activation in all brain areas activated by suckling. The degree of activation was higher following dry food consumption than suckling in the insular cortex, and lower in the supraoptic nucleus and the NTS. Furthermore, the accumbens, arcuate, and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei, and the lateral hypothalamic area, which were not activated by suckling, showed activation by dry food.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neurons in a number of brain areas are activated during suckling, and may participate in the signaling of satiety, taste perception, reward, food, and salt balance regulation.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology , Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barna
authors.affiliation: b MTA-SOTE NAP_A Human Brain Tissue Bank and Laboratory, Semmelweis University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.affiliation: c MTA-ELTE NAP_B Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Antónia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arszovszki
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology , Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.|c MTA-ELTE NAP_B Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cservenák
authors.affiliation: d Department of Zoology , University of West Hungary, Savaria Campus , Szombathely , Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.affiliation: b MTA-SOTE NAP_A Human Brain Tissue Bank and Laboratory, Semmelweis University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palkovits
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology , Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.|c MTA-ELTE NAP_B Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Arpád
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobolyi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D066274:Central Amygdaloid Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D010121:Oxytocin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Food intake; Lactation; Milk consumption; Mother litter interaction; Nursing; Rodent dam; Satiety; c-fos activation