R Neves João, Castelo-Branco Miguel, Gonçalves Joana
Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Commun Biol. 2025 Jul 22;8(1):1085. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08478-x.
Kisspeptins (Kiss) are key regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, influencing testosterone surges essential for brain masculinization and behavioral development in mammals. This study explored the effects of transient neonatal Kiss blockade on long-term social behaviors in Wistar rats. Newborn rats of both sexes were injected with either a Kiss antagonist or vehicle during the postnatal testosterone surge, termed "minipuberty". In adolescence and adulthood, social behaviors, hypothalamic Kiss receptor levels, and serum levels of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were assessed. Results showed that neonatal Kiss modulates testosterone differently in males and females, influencing social communication and long-term social skills. Increased exploratory behavior was observed, with males exhibiting heightened sexual impulsiveness without anxiety changes. Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone levels due to Kiss blockade may help explain some results. These findings highlight the critical role of neonatal Kiss in shaping lifelong social interactions and communication in a sex-dependent manner.
亲吻素（Kiss）是下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴的关键调节因子，影响着睾酮激增，而睾酮激增对哺乳动物大脑男性化和行为发育至关重要。本研究探讨了新生期短暂阻断亲吻素对Wistar大鼠长期社会行为的影响。在称为“小青春期”的出生后睾酮激增期间，对新生雌雄大鼠注射亲吻素拮抗剂或赋形剂。在青春期和成年期，评估其社会行为、下丘脑亲吻素受体水平以及促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）、黄体生成素（LH）、睾酮和促卵泡激素（FSH）的血清水平。结果表明，新生期亲吻素对雄性和雌性睾酮的调节作用不同，影响社会交流和长期社交技能。观察到探索行为增加，雄性表现出更强的性冲动，且焦虑无变化。亲吻素阻断导致下丘脑-垂体-性腺激素水平改变，这可能有助于解释一些结果。这些发现突出了新生期亲吻素在以性别依赖方式塑造终身社会互动和交流中的关键作用。
