BIO

I am a sophomore from Niceville, Florida, studying cell and molecular neuroscience and computational science. This is my second year working in the Hammock Lab, and this project has been my first opportunity to work independently on a project through DIS. Last year, I conducted a project through UROP on oxytocin as an anti-inflammatory to microglial cells. My research interests include social neuroscience, neurodevelopment (especially social development), computational neuroscience, and neurotoxicology. I plan to go to graduate school and go into a career in neuroscience research in the future. Come talk to me about this project or any other neuroscience topic!

Expression of oxytocin in mouse vaginal cells over the estrus cycle.

Abstract

Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide which is heavily involved in the regulation of social behavior, including reproductive activity and maternal behavior. Decreased or absent oxytocin expression has been associated with social deficits, such as changes in maternal behavior, social recognition, or increased aggression. Oxytocin is primarily produced in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, but some studies have suggested that oxytocin is also expressed in skin cells. Due to the apparent importance of maternal Oxt genotype on social behavior, the potential role of oxytocin as a protective molecule for offspring during birth, and the overall role of oxytocin in reproduction, we are specifically interested in the expression of oxytocin and the oxytocin receptor in vaginal cells. We hypothesize that expression will change throughout the estrus cycle. To test this hypothesis, we are collecting cell samples by postmortem vaginal lavage in mice. Estrus cycle is determined via vaginal cytology and the expression of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor are measured using quantitative RT-PCR. We predict higher levels of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor expression will be evident during pro-estrus/estrus.

Keywords: oxytocin, neuroscience, microscopy, qPCR