Abstract
Disclosure: S.T. Zdon: None. M.S. Silva: None. V.M. Navarro: None. Kisspeptin (Kiss1) neurons are essential for reproductive function as they are strong regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG). Mammalian Kiss1 neurons are mainly located in the hypothalamus, controlling gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, where the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) population is morphologically and functionally sexually differentiated. Kiss1 neurons are also found in limbic areas, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). This nucleus is involved in the integration of the HPG axis with sex-dependent social behaviors and metabolic functions. However, it remains unclear whether these populations show sexually dimorphic features. The present study focused on the neuroanatomical characterization of Kiss1(BNST) neurons in mice on both sexes. A Kiss1(cre;salsa6f) mouse strain carrying the expression of tdTomato specifically in Kiss1 neurons was used to study the distribution of Kiss1(BNST) neurons. The BNST is divided into the anterior division of the BNST (aBNST), and a more posterior division called the principal component of the BNST (prBNST). Results indicate that male mice have significantly more Kiss1(prBNST) neurons than females (Male: 139.4 ± 23.32 vs. Female: 43.70 ± 5.33 neurons; **P < 0.01). This sex-biased distribution was absent in Kiss1(aBNST) neurons. Additionally, stereotaxically injecting a Cre-dependent recombinant adenovirus carrying the expression of mCherry reporter into the aBNST or prBNST in adult mice was performed to observe neuronal projections. We observed fibers from aBNST-injected Kiss1 neurons projecting widely to areas that include the AVPV, medial preoptic area (MPO), lateral preoptic area (LPO), and periventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH). Moreover, fibers and cell bodies from male prBNST-injected Kiss1 neurons projected to dorsal lateral BNST (dlBNST), juxta-periventricular lateral hypothalamic area (JPLH), and the posterolateral stria terminalis (STMPL). This study observed a sexual dimorphic Kiss1 neuronal population in the prBNST, with males having more Kiss1(prBNST) neurons present and prospective postsynaptic areas in the brain where these neurons project to, helping to aid future studies on characterizing the functional role of these neurons. Presentation: 6/1/2024