Defects in reproductive functions in PACAP-deficient female mice

• Published in: Regulatory peptides Vol. 109; no. 1; pp. 45 - 48
• Main Authors: Shintani, Norihito, Mori, Wakaba, Hashimoto, Hitoshi, Imai, Masayuki, Tanaka, Kazuhiro, Tomimoto, Shuhei, Hirose, Megumi, Kawaguchi, Chihiro, Baba, Akemichi
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 15.11.2002; Amsterdam Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal ethology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Fertility; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Deletion; Litter Size; Mammalia; Mammalian reproduction. General aspects; Maternal Behavior; Mating; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Neuropeptides - deficiency; Neuropeptides - genetics; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Nursing; Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP); Pseudopregnancy; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Reproduction - physiology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Vagina - physiology; Vertebrata; Vertebrates: reproduction; Mating; Maternal behavior; Pseudopregnancy; Nursing; Sexual behavior; Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP); Parental care; Deficiency; Rodentia; Neuropeptide; Reproduction; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Female; Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide
• ISSN: 0167-0115; 1873-1686
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-0115(02)00169-6

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a highly conserved neuropeptide and widely expressed in both brain and peripheral tissues, including several reproductive organs (e.g., testis and ovary). PACAP stimulates syntheses of several sexual hormones and steroids, suggesting it has possible roles in reproductive function. In this study, the role of PACAP in female reproductive functions such as fertility, mating behavior and maternal behaviors were investigated by using mice lacking PACAP (PACAP −/−). PACAP −/− females showed reduced fertility (the number of parturitions relative to the number of pairings). Mating experiments using vasectomized males revealed that mating frequency and its intervals in some PACAP −/− females were quite different (zero to eight times/4 weeks), whereas the frequency was relatively constant (two to three times/4 weeks) in wild-type females. In PACAP −/− females, maternal crouching behavior tended to decrease compared to wild-type females, although the influence of litter size on maternal behavior needs to be considered. These data suggest a role for endogenous PACAP in female reproductive processes.