Hypertrophy of oxytocinergic magnocellular neurons in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus from gestation to lactation.

In the present experiments, we examined the changes in cell size (profile area) of oxytocinergic magnocellular neurons during reproductive states and dehydration with quantitative immunohistochemistry. During lactation, hypertrophy was observed in oxytocinergic magnocellular neurons but not in vasopressinergic ones in the supraoptic nucleus. In virgin rats, chronic dehydration increased the cell size in both oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic neurons. After normal weaning time, the cell size decreased, returning to virgin level within 20 days. However, if the mothers were deprived of their litters immediately after parturition, the cell size rapidly returned to virgin level within 5 days. Furthermore, the increase in the cell size of the mothers was not affected by the size of their nursing litters.