TY  - JOUR
AU  - Grund, Thomas
AU  - Tang, Yan
AU  - Benusiglio, Diego
AU  - Althammer, Ferdinand
AU  - Probst, Sophia
AU  - Oppenländer, Lena
AU  - Neumann, Inga D
AU  - Grinevich, Valery
TI  - Chemogenetic activation of oxytocin neurons: Temporal dynamics, hormonal release, and behavioral consequences.
JO  - Psychoneuroendocrinology
VL  - 106
SN  - 0306-4530
CY  - Amsterdam [u.a.]
PB  - Elsevier Science
M1  - DKFZ-2019-01369
SP  - 77 - 84
PY  - 2019
AB  - Chemogenetics provides cell type-specific remote control of neuronal activity. Here, we describe the application of chemogenetics used to specifically activate oxytocin (OT) neurons as representatives of a unique class of neuroendocrine cells. We injected recombinant adeno-associated vectors, driving the stimulatory subunit hM3Dq of a modified human muscarinic receptor into the rat hypothalamus to achieve cell type-specific expression in OT neurons. As chemogenetic activation of OT neurons has not been reported, we provide systematic analysis of the temporal dynamics of OT neuronal responses in vivo by monitoring calcium fluctuations in OT neurons, and intracerebral as well as peripheral release of OT. We further provide evidence for the efficiency of chemogenetic manipulation at behavioral levels, demonstrating that evoked activation of OT neurons leads to social motivation and anxiolysis. Altogether, our results will be profitable for researchers working on the physiology of neuroendocrine systems, peptidergic modulation of behaviors and translational psychiatry.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:30954921
DO  - DOI:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.019
UR  - https://inrepo02.dkfz.de/record/143807
ER  -