Oxytocin neurons drive melanocortin circuit maturation via vesicle release during a neonatal critical period
Fig 3
Normal development of melanocortin circuits in nitric oxide-deficient mice.
(A) Representative images of single optical sections of the hypothalamus of P10 mice showing OT and nitric oxide co-labeling in the paraventricular nucleus (PVH). (B–E) Representative images and quantification of (B, D) POMC and (C, E) AgRP fibers innervating the (B, C) PVH and (D, E) dorsomedial nucleus (DMH) of adult wild-type (control) and nNOS KO mice (n = 4-5 animals per group). (F, G) Representative images and quantification of OT (PS38+) neurons and fibers innervating the (F) PVH and (G) lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), respectively, in adult wild-type (control) and nNOS KO mice (n = 5 animals per group). Data are presented as mean + SEM. Scale bars, 40 μm (A), 200 μm (B–G). The data underlying this Figure can be found in S1 Data.