基底前脑Oxtr+神经元在慢性社交挫败应激中的功能研究OA

Objective To investigate the regulatory role of oxytocin receptors(Oxtr)in the basal forebrain in chronic social defeat stress(CSDS)-induced social avoidance behavior.Methods c-Fos immunofluorescence staining,stereotaxic injection,fiber photometry calcium recording,and RNAscope in situ hybridization were employed to compare behavioral performance and neural activity between wild-type mice and those with basal forebrain-specific Oxtr deletion under the CSDS model.Results Compared with the control group without CSDS exposure,CSDS-exposed mice had their social interactions with unfamiliar CD1 mice significantly shortened,accompanied by a marked increase in the proportion of c-Fos-positive neurons in the basal forebrain.Fiber photometry recordings suggested that calcium activity in Oxtr+ neurons of the basal forebrain was significantly enhanced during social interactions in CSDS mice.Notably,selective deletion of Oxtr in the basal forebrain significantly alleviated CSDS-induced social avoidance and effectively attenuated stress-induced neuronal hyperactivation.Conclusion Basal forebrain Oxtr+neurons play a key regulatory role in chronic social defeat stress-induced social avoidance and the processing of social fear-related cues.