Distribution of the neuronal inputs to the ventral premammillary nucleus of male and female rats

Author(s)

Cavalcante, Judney Cley ^{[1, 2]} ; Bittencourt, Jackson Cioni ^{[1, 3]} ; Elias, Carol Fuzeti ^{[4, 1, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Anat, Lab Chem Neuroanat, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Lab Neuroanat, Dept Morphol, Ctr Biosci, BR-59072970 Natal, RN - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Psychol, Ctr Neurosci & Behav, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Michigan, Dept Mol & Integrat Physiol, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 - USA

^[5] Univ Michigan, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brain Research; v. 1582, p. 77-90, SEP 25 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 9

Abstract

The ventral premammillary nucleus (PMV) expresses dense collections of sex steroid receptors and receptors for metabolic cues, including leptin, insulin and ghrelin. The PMV responds to opposite sex odor stimulation and projects to areas involved in reproductive control, including direct innervation of gonadotropin releasing hormone neurons. Thus, the PMV is well positioned to integrate metabolic and reproductive cues, and control downstream targets that mediate reproductive function. In fact, lesions of PMV neurons blunt female reproductive function and maternal aggression. However, although the projections of PMV neurons have been well documented, little is known about the neuronal inputs received by PMV neurons. To fill this gap, we performed a systematic evaluation of the brain sites innervating the PMV neurons of male and female rats using the retrograde tracer subunit B of the cholera toxin (CTb). In general, we observed that males and females show a similar pattern of afferents. We also noticed that the PMV is preferentially innervated by neurons located in the forebrain, with very few projections coming from brainstem nuclei. The majority of inputs originated from the medial nucleus of the amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the medial preoptic nucleus. A moderate to high density of afferents was also observed in the ventral subiculum, the arcuate nucleus and the ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. Our findings strengthen the concept that the PMV is part of the vomeronasal system and integrates the brain circuitry controlling reproductive functions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/59286-4 - Neural bases for motivated behavior
• Grantee: Newton Sabino Canteras
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 04/13849-5 - Peptidergic pathways involved in the organization of feeding behavior
• Grantee: Jackson Cioni Bittencourt
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants