Kisspeptin Administration and mRNA Expression in Adult Syrian Hamsters

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Kisspeptin (Kiss1) and kisspeptin 1 receptor (Kiss1R) are vital in regulating various functions across many species, primarily those relating to reproduction. The kisspeptin system has recently attracted clinical interest as a potential therapeutic treatment for patients with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. This study maps the distribution of Kiss1 and Kiss1R mRNA in the Syrian hamster forebrain using dual-labeled RNAscope. In our study, the distributions of kisspeptin and its receptor were mapped across adult males and females on day 1 or day 2 of their estrous cycle. Conditioned place preference was used to observe the potential effect of kisspeptin on sexual reward in female hamsters. The expression of kisspeptin was greater in females than males, with the estrous cycle having no effect on expression. A comparison of these findings to those in other species revealed that the expression in Syrian hamsters was similar to that reported for other species, demonstrating the conservation of expression. Kisspeptin did not influence sexual reward in females, nor did it affect measures of their primary sexual behavior. These findings provide additional insights into the expression and function of kisspeptin across novel species and add to ongoing research in understanding how kisspeptin may influence sexual desire in animals, including humans.
Funding Information
  • National Institutes of Health (R01 HD100007, R01 HD100007-03S1, K99 MH132772, 32436, P30 DA048742-01A1)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01 HD100007, R01 HD100007-03S1, K99 MH132772, 32436, P30 DA048742-01A1)
  • Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (R01 HD100007, R01 HD100007-03S1, K99 MH132772, 32436, P30 DA048742-01A1)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 HD100007, R01 HD100007-03S1, K99 MH132772, 32436, P30 DA048742-01A1)
  • Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the University of Minnesota (R01 HD100007, R01 HD100007-03S1, K99 MH132772, 32436, P30 DA048742-01A1)

This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit: