Oxytocin is synthesized by hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons and is released from the posterior pituitary gland to trigger uterine contractions during parturition. In rats, oxytocin neuron innervation by periventricular nucleus (PeN) kisspeptin neurons increases over pregnancy and intra-SON kisspeptin administration excites oxytocin neurons only in late pregnancy. To test the hypothesis that kisspeptin neurons excite oxytocin neurons to trigger uterine contractions during birth in C57/B6J mice, double-label immunohistochemistry for kisspeptin and oxytocin first confirmed that kisspeptin neurons project to the SON and PVN. Furthermore, kisspeptin fibers expressed synaptophysin and formed close appositions with oxytocin neurons in the mouse SON and PVN before and during pregnancy. Stereotaxic viral delivery of caspase-3 into the AVPV/PeN of Kiss-Cre mice before mating reduced kisspeptin expression in the AVPV, PeN, SON and PVN by > 90% but did not affect the duration of pregnancy or the timing of delivery of each pup during parturition. Therefore, it appears that AVPV/PeN kisspeptin neuron projections to oxytocin neurons are not necessary for parturition in the mouse.
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