Neuromodulatory functions exerted by oxytocin on different populations of hippocampal neurons in rodents

Francesca Talpo; Paolo Spaiardi; Antonio Nicolas Castagno; Claudia Maniezzi; Francesca Raffin; Giulia Terribile; Giulio Sancini; Antonio Pisani; Gerardo Rosario Biella

doi:10.3389/fncel.2023.1082010

Neuromodulatory functions exerted by oxytocin on different populations of hippocampal neurons in rodents

Front Cell Neurosci. 2023 Feb 2:17:1082010. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1082010. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Francesca Talpo¹, Paolo Spaiardi^{1

2}, Antonio Nicolas Castagno¹, Claudia Maniezzi³, Francesca Raffin¹, Giulia Terribile⁴, Giulio Sancini^{4

5}, Antonio Pisani^{6

7}, Gerardo Rosario Biella^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
² Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
³ Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
⁵ Nanomedicine Center, Neuroscience Center, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
⁶ Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
⁷ Neurological Institute Foundation Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS), Pavia, Italy.

Abstract

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide widely known for its peripheral hormonal effects (i.e., parturition and lactation) and central neuromodulatory functions, related especially to social behavior and social, spatial, and episodic memory. The hippocampus is a key structure for these functions, it is innervated by oxytocinergic fibers, and contains OT receptors (OTRs). The hippocampal OTR distribution is not homogeneous among its subregions and types of neuronal cells, reflecting the specificity of oxytocin's modulatory action. In this review, we describe the most recent discoveries in OT/OTR signaling in the hippocampus, focusing primarily on the electrophysiological oxytocinergic modulation of the OTR-expressing hippocampal neurons. We then look at the effect this modulation has on the balance of excitation/inhibition and synaptic plasticity in each hippocampal subregion. Additionally, we review OTR downstream signaling, which underlies the OT effects observed in different types of hippocampal neuron. Overall, this review comprehensively summarizes the advancements in unraveling the neuromodulatory functions exerted by OT on specific hippocampal networks.

Keywords: hippocampus; neural circuit; neuromodulation; oxytocin; oxytocin receptor (OTR); oxytocinergic pathways.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR): Dipartimenti di Eccellenza Program (2018–2022)–Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia and the Crowdfunding Campaign “The cure within a cell”–University of Pavia.