AUTHOR=Hashimoto Hirofumi, Matsuura Takanori, Ueta Yoichi TITLE=Fluorescent visualization of oxytocin in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=8 YEAR=2014 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2014.00213 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2014.00213 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=Oxytocin (OXT) is well known for its ability to the milk ejection reflex and uterine contraction. It is also involved in several other behaviors, such as anti-nociception, anxiety, feeding, social recognition, and stress responses. OXT is synthesized in the magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and the supraoptic nuclei (SON) that terminate their axons in the posterior pituitary (PP). We generated transgenic rats that express the OXT and fluorescent protein fusion gene in order to visualize OXT in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS). In these transgenic rats, fluorescent proteins were observed in the MNCs and axon terminals in the PP. This transgenic rat is a new tool to study the physiological role of OXT in the HNS.