Source Paper
Oxytocin Attenuates Stress-Induced c-<i>fos</i>mRNA Expression in Specific Forebrain Regions Associated with Modulation of Hypothalamo–Pituitary–Adrenal Activity
Richard J. Windle, Yvonne M. Kershaw, Nola Shanks, Susan A. Wood, Stafford L. Lightman et al.
Journal of Neuroscience • 2004
Intracerebroventricular Oxytocin/Vasopressin Infusion
Objective: To identify forebrain target sites through which oxytocin mediates anti-stress effects by examining neuronal activation patterns and HPA axis responses following intracerebroventricular oxytocin or vasopressin infusion and restraint stress
This is a Intracerebroventricular Oxytocin/Vasopressin Infusion protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 6 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2004 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • Not specified • female • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~30 minutes hands-on
Core workflow
Animal preparation • Intracerebroventricular infusion • Restraint stress application
Primary readouts
- ACTH release in response to restraint stress
- Corticosterone release in response to restraint stress
- Corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA expression in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus
- c-fos mRNA expression patterns in forebrain regions (paraventricular nucleus, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, habenula, medial amygdala, ventrolateral septum, dorsal hippocampus, ventral hippocampus, piriform cortex, endopiriform cortex)
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Animal preparation
Ovariectomized rats were treated with estradiol prior to experimental procedures
Note: Female rats were ovariectomized and estradiol-treated
View evidence from paper
“Ovariectomized, estradiol-treated rats received intracerebroventricular infusions”
Intracerebroventricular infusion
Rats received intracerebroventricular infusions of either oxytocin at two doses or vasopressin
Note: Two oxytocin doses tested (1 and 10 ng/hr) and one vasopressin dose (10 ng/hr)
View evidence from paper
“received intracerebroventricular infusions of oxytocin (1 or 10 ng/hr) or vasopressin (10 ng/hr)”
Restraint stress application
Animals were subjected to restraint stress while receiving infusions
Note: Stress was applied during active infusion period
View evidence from paper
“30 min restraint”
Neuronal activation mapping
Patterns of neuronal activation were determined by semiquantitative mapping of c-fos mRNA expression in forebrain regions
Note: Examined multiple forebrain regions including PVN, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, habenula, medial amygdala, ventrolateral septum, hippocampus, and piriform/endopiriform cortices
View evidence from paper
“patterns of neuronal activation after restraint stress were determined by semiquantitative mapping of c-fos mRNA expression”
Hormone measurement
ACTH and corticosterone levels were measured to assess HPA axis responses
Note: Measured in response to restraint stress with and without peptide infusion
View evidence from paper
“Oxytocin administration significantly attenuated the release of ACTH and corticosterone”
Gene expression analysis
Corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA expression was measured in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus
Note: Assessed in response to restraint stress
View evidence from paper
“increase in corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in response to 30 min restraint”