Estrogen influences on oxytocin mRNA expression in preoptic and anterior hypothalamic regions studied by in situ hybridization

Chung, Sookja K.; McCabe, Joseph T.; Pfaff, Donald W.

doi:10.1002/cne.903070209

Cited by 74 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Previous studies suggest that estrogen directly regulates the gene expression of OT in the PVN and the SON through ER-b (Shughrue et al 1996, Laflamme et al 1998, Hrabovszky et al 2004. Thus, estrogen increases the level of OT mRNA in neurones of the PVN and SON (Chung et al 1991, Amico et al 1995 and increases plasma OT levels (Amico et al 1981, Wang et al 1995, Caligioni & Franci 2002. The expression of ER-b in OT neurones is well established in the literature for the PVN, but has not been observed in the SON (Shughrue et al 1996, Alves et al 1998, Hrabovszky et al 1998, Laflamme et al 1998, Suzuki & Handa 2005.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effect of the interaction between food state and the action of estrogen on oxytocinergic system activity

Lucio-Oliveira¹,

Franci²

2011

Journal of Endocrinology

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Increased plasma osmolality by food intake evokes augmentation of plasma oxytocin (OT). Ovarian steroids may also influence the balance of body fluids by acting on OT neurones. Our aim was to determine if estrogen influences the activity of OT neurones in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) under different osmotic situations. Ovariectomized rats (OVX) were treated with either estradiol (E 2 ) or vehicle and were divided into three groups: group I was fed ad libitum, group II underwent 48 h of fasting, and group III was refed after 48 h of fasting. On the day of the experiment, blood samples were collected to determine the plasma osmolality and OT. The animals were subsequently perfused, and OT/FOS immunofluorescence analysis was conducted on neurones in the PVN and the SON. When compared to animals which were fasted or fed ad libitum, the plasma osmolality of refed animals was higher, regardless of whether they were treated with vehicle or E 2 . We observed neural activation of OT cells in vehicle-or E 2 -treated OVX rats refed after 48 h of fasting, but not in animals fed ad libitum or in animals that only underwent 48 h of fasting. Finally, the percentage of neurones that co-expressed OT and FOS was lower in both the PVN and the SON of animals treated with E 2 and refed, when compared to vehicle-treated animals. These results suggest that E 2 may have an inhibitory effect on OT neurones and may modulate the secretion of OT in response to the increase of osmolality induced by refeeding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effect of the interaction between food state and the action of estrogen on oxytocinergic system activity

Lucio-Oliveira¹,

Franci²

2011

Journal of Endocrinology

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“…Although estrogen response elements are present in the promoter regions of the OT-neurophysin (Mohr and Schmitz, 1991) and the VP-neurophysin (Shapiro et al, 2000) genes, the issue of whether estrogen can directly regulate OT and VP gene transcription in the PVH and in the SO is highly controversial (Caldwell et al, 1989;Miller et al, 1989;Burbach et al, 1990;Chung et al, 1991;Amico et al, 1995;Crowley et al, 1995;Nomura et al, 2002;Shughrue et al, 2002). Elevated levels of the mRNAs for OT and, to a lesser extent, for VP were observed during pregnancy and lactation (Lightman and Young, 1987;Van Tol et al, 1988;Zingg and Lefebvre, 1988;Crowley and Amico, 1993), but ovariectomy and estrogen replacement in earlier reports did not appear to significantly alter OT (Miller et al, 1989;Burbach et al, 1990;Amico et al, 1995) or VP (Roy et al, 1999) mRNA levels.…”

Section: Oxytocin and Vasopressin Gene Regulation By Estrogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estrogen receptor‐β in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the rat and human hypothalamus: Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization studies

Hrabovszky

Kalló

Steinhauser

et al. 2004

J of Comparative Neurology

104

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Topographical distribution of estrogen receptor-beta (ER-beta)-synthesizing oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) neurons was studied in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei (PVH; SO) of ovariectomized rats. In distinct subregions, 45-98% of OT neurons and 88-99% of VP neurons exhibited ER-beta immunoreactivity that was confined to cell nuclei. Neuronal populations differed markedly with respect to the intensity of the ER-beta signal. Magnocellular OT neurons in the PVH, SO, and accessory cell groups typically contained low levels of the ER-beta signal; in contrast, robust receptor labeling was displayed by OT cells in the ventral subdivision of medial parvicellular subnucleus and in the caudal PVH (dorsal subdivision of medial parvicellular subnucleus and lateral parvicellular subnucleus). Estrogen receptor-beta signal was generally more intense and present in higher proportions of magnocellular and parvicellular VP vs. OT neurons of similar topography. Immunocytochemical observations were confirmed via triple-label in situ hybridization, an approach combining use of digoxigenin-, fluorescein-, and 35S-labeled cRNA hybridization probes. Further, ER-beta mRNA was also detectable in corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the parvicellular PVH. Finally, double-label immunocytochemical analysis of human autopsy samples showed that subsets of OT and VP neurons also express ER-beta in the human. These neuroanatomical studies provide detailed information about the topographical distribution and cellular abundance of ER-beta within subsets of hypothalamic OT and VP neurons in the rat. The variable receptor content may indicate the differential responsiveness to estrogen in distinct OT and VP neuronal populations. In addition, a relevance of these findings to the human hypothalamus is suggested.

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“…Small numbers of OT neurons concentrate estrogen [31] and estrogen treatment alters OT neuronal firing 356 Fla n aga n/Pfa us/ Pfa 117 M c Ewen M ating-Induced FOS Expression in Oxytocin Neurons [32]. In addition, at puberty gonadal steroids are impor tant for increasing OT mRNA levels [33,34], Although studies of total OT mRNA and peptide levels find no effect of estradiol treatment [35], single cell analysis of in situ hybridization suggests that OT mRNA is increased in a subpopulation of OT neurons in the SON and accessory nuclei [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Induction of FOS Immunoreactivity in Oxytocin Neurons after Sexual Activity in Female Rats

Flanagan¹,

Pfaus

Pfaff

et al. 1993

Neuroendocrinology

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Several lines of evidence suggest that centrally released oxytocin (OT) may act in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMN) to facilitate sexual behavior in female rats primed with estradiol and progesterone. The present experiment used a marker of neuronal activation, expression of the transcription factor FOS, to locate OT neurons activated during sexual behavior. Sexual behavior significantly increased the percentage of OT neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) expressing FOS in rats treated with estradiol and progesterone, compared to hormone-treated, nonmated controls. The OT neurons colabelled with FOS immunoreactivity were found in regions of the PVN, but not in the supraoptic nucleus. As reported by others, FOS expression also was induced in the preoptic area and the VMN. Taken together with other evidence, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous OT is involved in female sexual behavior, and suggest that the source of oxytocinergic innervation to the oxytocin receptors in the VMN may be neurons in the PVN. Interestingly, FOS expression in the VMN occurred in cells in the vicinity of OT fibers.

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Estrogen influences on oxytocin mRNA expression in preoptic and anterior hypothalamic regions studied by in situ hybridization

Cited by 74 publications

References 41 publications

Effect of the interaction between food state and the action of estrogen on oxytocinergic system activity

Effect of the interaction between food state and the action of estrogen on oxytocinergic system activity

Estrogen receptor‐β in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the rat and human hypothalamus: Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization studies

Induction of FOS Immunoreactivity in Oxytocin Neurons after Sexual Activity in Female Rats

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