Decoding the oxytocinergic and behavioral signatures of lactation
Zhihua Gao PhD. Professor
School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Abstract
Understanding the features of lactation and associated neural mechanism is important for reproductive health. While pulsatile release is known to drive milk ejection, how oxytocin neurons coordinate lactation and how lactation manifests in behavior remains poorly defined. Here, we combine in vivo calcium recording, intramammary pressure (IMP) monitoring and behavioral tracking to investigate the neural-behavioral interplay of lactation in conscious rats. We show that hypothalamic oxytocin neurons exhibit synchronized, episodic firing at population level during nursing, which remains stable throughout different stages of lactation. Such oxytocinergic firing drives IMP surge and stereotypic behavioral interactions in both dam and pups. Blocking oxytocin receptors attenuates milk ejections and behavioral actions, suggesting behavioral correlation to milk ejections. Leveraging the behavioral features, we construct a deep-learning framework to automatically identify milk ejections from videos, preventing intensive labor and invasive procedures. Our study uncovers the oxytocinergic and behavioral signatures of lactation and provides a scalable approach for further investigation.

Invited by Valéry Matarazzo
Monday July 7th 2025 at 11am, Inmed conference room