Estradiol receptor-α expression in hypothalamic and limbic regions of ewes is influenced by physiological state and maternal experience

The influence of estrus, pregnancy, parturition, and maternal experience on the expression of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) was investigated in hypothalamic and limbic regions of the sheep brain, using immunocytochemistry. Four days before parturition, previous maternal experience was associated with a higher density of ERα-labeled neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei, the medial preoptic area, and the medial amygdala, but not in the mediobasal hypothalamus. Furthermore, an interaction was found between physiological state and experience in the peripartum period as the effect of experience existing 4 days prepartum was not found at parturition, when densities were lowest both in primiparous and in multiparous ewes. An additional effect of physiological state was also observed between parturition and estrus, densities being significantly lower at parturition than at estrus in the SON, PVN, and MPOA, but not in the medial amygdala. These results indicate that in sheep ERα expression is influenced by previous physiological and/or maternal experience at specific times of the reproductive cycle. They are also congruent with the higher ability of multiparous than nulliparous ewes to show maternal behavior several days prepartum.