| Project/Area Number |
17300127
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Neurophysiology and muscle physiology
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| Research Institution | OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUI Hideki OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 教授 (30157234)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TOMIZAWA Kazuhito OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Professor, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 助教授 (40274287)
OHMORI Iori OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assistant Professor, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 助手 (20403488)
NISHIKI Teiichi OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assistant Professor, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 助手 (70423340)
松下 正之 (株)三菱化学生命科学研究所, 主任研究員 (30273965)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2006)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥15,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥5,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥9,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥9,300,000)
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| Keywords | Oxytocin / RGS2 / restrain stress / anxiety / RGS2 / シナプス可塑性 / 記憶・学習 / マイクロアレイ / PKC |
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| Research Abstract |
Oxytocin is a peptide hormone that causes uterine contraction and facilitates the delivery of the newborn, and stimulates the milk ejection during motherhood. Abundant oxytocin receptors also appear in central nervous system (CNS), especially in limbic system. Oxytocin is involved in the regulation of social behaviors, including maternal care, affiliation and social behaviors in CNS.
Moreover, recent studies have shown that oxytocin has anti-anxietic effect during motherhood. However, the exact molecular mechanism is unclear.
In the course of experiments under the Monbusho grant, we identified a crucial molecule involved in the regulation of anxiety by oxytocin. Oxytocin induced the expression of Regulator of G-protein Signaling2 (RGS2), which is known as a modulator of anxiety, in the amygdala slices of female mice. RGS2 expression in the amygdala of lactating mice was significantly higher than that of virgin mice. Moreover, the expression of RGS2 in virgin mice undergone restraint stress was facilitated compared with that of control mice. These data agree with our hypothesis that the brain hormone oxytocin controls anxiety and stress response by increase of RGS2 expression in amygdala neurons. We will further examine the molecular mechanism of anxiety control by oxytocin in amygdala.
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