A reduction in voluntary physical activity in early pregnancy in mice is mediated by prolactin

eLife

Zin Khant Aung¹  Matt L Gillett¹  Kirsten M Carter¹  David R Grattan²  Sharon R Ladyman² 

[1] Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand;

关键词: prolactin;    running wheel;    pregnancy;    prolactin receptors;    medial preoptic area;    Mouse;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.62260

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

As part of the maternal adaptations to pregnancy, mice show a rapid, profound reduction in voluntary running wheel activity (RWA) as soon as pregnancy is achieved. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that prolactin, one of the first hormones to change secretion pattern following mating, is involved in driving this suppression of physical activity levels during pregnancy. We show that prolactin can acutely suppress RWA in non-pregnant female mice, and that conditional deletion of prolactin receptors (Prlr) from either most forebrain neurons or from GABA neurons prevented the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. Deletion of Prlr specifically from the medial preoptic area, a brain region associated with multiple homeostatic and behavioral roles including parental behavior, completely abolished the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. As pregnancy progresses, prolactin action continues to contribute to the further suppression of RWA, although it is not the only factor involved. Our data demonstrate a key role for prolactin in suppressing voluntary physical activity during early pregnancy, highlighting a novel biological basis for reduced physical activity in pregnancy.

【 授权许可】

CC BY