title: Kisspeptin innervation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: sexual dimorphism and effect of estrous cycle in female mice.
abstract: The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is the major autonomic output area of the hypothalamus and a critical regulatory center for energy homeostasis. The organism's energetic balance is very important for both the regular onset of puberty and regulation of fertility. Several studies have suggested a relationship among neural circuits controlling food intake, energy homeostasis and the kisspeptin peptide. The kisspeptin system is clustered in two main groups of cell bodies [the anterior ventral periventricular region (AVPV) and the arcuate nucleus (ARC)] projecting mainly to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and to a few other locations, including the PVN. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of the kisspeptin fibers within the PVN of adult CD1 mice. We observed a significant sexual dimorphism for AVPV and ARC, as well as for the PVN innervation. Kisspeptin fibers showed a different density within the PVN, being denser in the medial part than in the lateral one; moreover, in female, the density changed, according to different phases of the estrous cycle (the highest density being in estrus phase). The presence of a profound effect of estrous cycle on the kisspeptin immunoreactivity in AVPV (with a higher signal in estrus) and ARC, and the strong co-localization between kisspeptin and NkB only in ARC and not in PVN suggested that the majority of the kisspeptin fibers found in the PVN might arise directly from AVPV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.|Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marraudino
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.|Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Dèsirèe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.|Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farinetti
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0911-7606
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ponti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.|Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: GianCarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panzica
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.|Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8499-4684
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D059648:Kisspeptins
keywords: 
  PVN
  ; Kiss1; anterior ventral periventricular region; arcuate nucleus; diestrus; estrus