Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

A subpopulation of oxytocin neurons initiate expression of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) in females post parturition

2022; Elsevier BV; Volume: 145; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105918

1873-3360

Lierni Ugartemendia, Rose M. De Guzman, Jing Cai, Shivakumar Rajamanickam, Zhiying Jiang, Jonathan Tao, Damian G. Zuloaga, Nicholas J. Justice,

Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Oxytocin (OT) is essential for successful reproduction, particularly during parturition and lactation. During the postpartum period, OT also influences maternal behavior to promote bonding between mothers and their newborns, and increases stress resilience. However, the mechanism by which stress influences OT neuron activity and OT release has remained unclear. Here, we provide evidence that a subpopulation of OT neurons initiate expression of the receptor for the stress neuropeptide Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF), CRFR1, in reproductive females. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 begins at the first parturition and increases during the postpartum period until weaning. The percentage of OT neurons that express CRFR1 increases with successive breeding cycles until it reaches a plateau of 20-25% of OT neurons. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 in reproductive females is maintained after they are no longer actively breeding. CRFR1 expression leads to activation of OT neurons when animals are stressed. We propose a model in which direct CRF signaling to OT neurons selectively in reproductive females potentiates OT release to promote stress resilience in mothers.