Fig. 6 | Scientific Reports

Fig. 6

From: Gestational stress disrupts dopamine and oxytocin signaling in the postpartum reward system of rats: implications for mood, motivation and mothering

Fig. 6

Gestational stress differentially altered oxytocin and oxytocin receptor expression in the hypothalamus and VTA as well as oxytocin fibers in the VTA. Gene expression analysis was conducted in the hypothalamus and ventral tegmental area (VTA) on PD7. (A) In the hypothalamus, gestationally stressed mothers had higher expression of oxytocin (OT), whereas no differences between stress and control dams were noted in oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression (B, C). (D) In the VTA, gestational stress didn’t alter OT expression, but reduced OTR expression (E, F). (G, H) Immunohistochemical analysis of the VTA indicated that gestationally stressed mothers also had lower density of OT fibers in the VTA in comparison with unstressed dams on PD10. Representative images of OT fibers in the VTA are shown. *p ≤ 0.05, ***p ≤ 0.001.

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