Reduced binding of oxytocin in the rat brain during aging

Central oxytocin (OT) receptors were labelled in 3-month-old and 20-month-old rats with an iodinated OT antagonist. Comparison of the autoradiograms by quantitative image analysis revealed in the old animals a significant reduction of binding in three regions; the number of labelled OT receptors was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 1995-11, Vol.698 (1), p.275-279
Main Authors: Arsenijevic, Yvan, Dreifuss, Jean Jacques, Vallet, Philippe, Marguerat, Anouk, Tribollet, Eliane
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Aging - metabolism
Animals
Autoradiography
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - metabolism
Caudate putamen
Development. Senescence. Regeneration. Transplantation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Male
Olfactory tubercle
Oxytocin - metabolism
Oxytocin receptor
Rat brain
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, Oxytocin - metabolism
Testosterone
Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:Central oxytocin (OT) receptors were labelled in 3-month-old and 20-month-old rats with an iodinated OT antagonist. Comparison of the autoradiograms by quantitative image analysis revealed in the old animals a significant reduction of binding in three regions; the number of labelled OT receptors was decreased by 90% in the head of the caudate putamen, by 68% in the olfactory tubercle, and by 41% in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus. Previous studies had shown that the expression of OT receptors in the olfactory tubercle and in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus was dependant upon gonadal steroids. Therefore we hypothesize that the reduced number of OT receptors in the latter two structures of aged rats was the consequence of the 4-fold decrease of plasma testosterone that we found in this age. Another mechanism may be responsible for the marked reduction of OT receptors in the caudate putamen.
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/0006-8993(95)01020-V