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Comparison of the Temporal Programs Regulating Tyrosine Hydroxylase and Enkephalin Expressions in TIDA Neurons of Lactating Rats Following Pup Removal and then Pup Return

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Abstract

Dopamine (DA) and enkephalin (ENK) release from the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons (TIDA) into the hypophysial portal circulation is fundamentally different under non-lactating and lactating conditions. The aim of this experiment was to compare the effect of a brief interruption then resumption of suckling on the temporal program of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; rate-limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis) and ENK regulation in dams. On post partum day 10, pups were removed for a 4-h period from a group of the dams then returned for 4- and 24-h periods. It was examined whether such a brief interruption of suckling provokes full up-regulation of TH and down-regulation of ENK, and whether reinitiation of suckling limits the extent to which TH up- and ENK down-regulate. At the end of experiment, the animals were decapitated. In situ hybridization was used to examine the expression of TH and ENK mRNA in the arcuate nucleus where TIDA neurons reside. The results showed that, on one hand, the removal of pups induced TH up-regulation, on the other hand, ENK expression also increased 8 h after removal of pups and then started to slowly decline. In dams whose sucklings were reinitiated both TH and ENK mRNAs were up-regulated at least for a day. ENK expression responded more slowly to the removal of pups than expression of TH, and after reinitiation of suckling, the temporal program of regulation of both TH and ENK expressions ran parallel in the first 24 h.

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Abbreviations

ARC:

Arcuate nucleus

DA:

Dopamine

DEPC:

Diethylpyrocarbonate

ENK:

Enkephalin

KPBS:

Potassium phosphate buffer-saline

ME:

Median eminence

OD:

Optical density

PP:

Post Partum

PRL:

Prolactin

TH:

Tyrosine hydroxylase

TIDA:

Tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic

TRNA:

Torula yeast RNA

UTP:

Uracil triphosphate

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Acknowledgment

This study was funded by National Institutes of Health Grant NS 43788 to G.E.H.

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Author notes

  1. Flora Klara Szabó

    Present address: White House Clinics, 401 Highland Park Drive, Richmond, KY, 40475, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA

    Wei-Wei Le & Gloria E. Hoffman

  2. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Natalie S. Snyder

Authors
  1. Flora Klara Szabó
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  2. Wei-Wei Le
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  3. Natalie S. Snyder
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  4. Gloria E. Hoffman
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Correspondence to Gloria E. Hoffman.

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Szabó, F.K., Le, WW., Snyder, N.S. et al. Comparison of the Temporal Programs Regulating Tyrosine Hydroxylase and Enkephalin Expressions in TIDA Neurons of Lactating Rats Following Pup Removal and then Pup Return. J Mol Neurosci 45, 110–118 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-010-9466-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-010-9466-2

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