Topic: oxytocin neurons

In the realm of memory, environmental lighting exerts significant influence, impacting various cognitive processes such as fear and object memory. Within this context, our laboratory has previously conducted research demonstrating that brief exposure to light adversely affects social recognition memory (SRM) in mice. Specifically, we found that light exposure hampers the activity of oxytocin neurons located in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) through a pathway involving M1 SON-projecting intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) and GABAergic neurons situated in the perinuclear

Oxytocin (Oxt) is a hormone produced in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the hypothalamus, known to mediate the central anorexigenic effects of the adipokine leptin (Lep), as well as to promote adipose tissue (AT) lipolysis at the periphery. Here, we sought to address whether Oxt neurons could directly respond to Lep, and if any such regulatory cascade would increase Oxt levels in plasma. Adult C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with mouse recombinant leptin (0.5 mg/kg) or saline, while others were subjected to standard or high-fat diet (HFD). Hypothalamus, AT

Oxytocin is essential in shaping social behavior across the lifespan. While the role of oxytocin signaling in parental care has been widely investigated, little is known about its function in social behavior during early life. This is partly due to the lack of precise technologies for studying the developing brain. In mice, the expression of the oxytocin receptor peaks during the second and third weeks of life, suggesting that oxytocin signaling is important at this early stage. Here, we studied the role of oxytocin in pup social behavior under acute separation from and reunion with the mother