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Open Access 01-09-2021 | Cannabinoid | Original Article

Expression of type one cannabinoid receptor in different subpopulation of kisspeptin neurons and kisspeptin afferents to GnRH neurons in female mice

Authors: Tamás Wilheim, Krisztina Nagy, Mahendravarman Mohanraj, Kamil Ziarniak, Masahiko Watanabe, Joanna Sliwowska, Imre Kalló

Published in: Brain Structure and Function | Issue 7/2021

Abstract

The endocannabinoids have been shown to target the afferents of hypothalamic neurons via cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1) and thereby to influence their excitability at various physiological and/or pathological processes. Kisspeptin (KP) neurons form afferents of multiple neuroendocrine cells and influence their activity via signaling through a variation of co-expressed classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. The differential potency of endocannabinoids to influence the release of classical transmitters or neuropeptides, and the ovarian cycle-dependent functioning of the endocannabinoid signaling in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons initiated us to study whether (a) the different subpopulations of KP neurons express CB1 mRNAs, (b) the expression is influenced by estrogen, and (c) CB1-immunoreactivity is present in the KP afferents to GnRH neurons. The aim of the study was to investigate the site- and cell-specific expression of CB1 in female mice using multiple labeling in situ hybridization and immunofluorescent histochemical techniques. The results support that CB1 mRNAs are expressed by both the GABAergic and glutamatergic subpopulations of KP neurons, the receptor protein is detectable in two-thirds of the KP afferents to GnRH neurons, and the expression of CB1 mRNA shows an estrogen-dependency. The applied estrogen-treatment, known to induce proestrus, reduced the level of CB1 transcripts in the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle and arcuate nucleus, and differently influenced its co-localization with vesicular GABA transporter or vesicular glutamate transporter-2 in KP neurons. This indicates a gonadal cycle-dependent role of endocannabinoid signaling in the neuronal circuits involving KP neurons.

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Title: Expression of type one cannabinoid receptor in different subpopulation of kisspeptin neurons and kisspeptin afferents to GnRH neurons in female mice
Authors: Tamás Wilheim
Krisztina Nagy
Mahendravarman Mohanraj
Kamil Ziarniak
Masahiko Watanabe
Joanna Sliwowska
Imre Kalló
Publication date: 01-09-2021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Cannabinoid
Estrogens
Published in: Brain Structure and Function / Issue 7/2021
Print ISSN: 1863-2653
Electronic ISSN: 1863-2661
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-021-02339-z

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Expression of type one cannabinoid receptor in different subpopulation of kisspeptin neurons and kisspeptin afferents to GnRH neurons in female mice

Abstract

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Abstract

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