The Effect of Estrogen and Progesterone on Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Producing-Neurons in Brain Areas Related to Reproductive Behavior in Lactating Dams

The hypothalamus plays a role in reproductive cycle control, and it is a site of action of steroid hormones. Throughout the production of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), the hypothalamus shows adaptive changes during lactation. Therefore, in this work, we aimed to test the effects of estrogen and progesterone manipulation on MCH-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in hypothalamic brain areas related to reproductive behavior and on the MCH serum concentration. Our results show that the removal of steroid hormones by ovariectomy increases the number of MCH-ir neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and incerto-hypothalamic area (IHy) but not in the anterior part of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVHa). The MCH in the serum levels also increases. In accordance, the injection of estradiol alone or estradiol and progesterone decreased the number of MCH-ir neurons in the MPOA and IHy, as well as its serum levels. The MPOA and IHy are the brain areas targeted by the steroid hormone inhibitory effect of the MCH system during lactation. This effect is also reflected in the MCH serum levels.