Fig. 1

Effects of neonatal gonadal steroid manipulation on Kiss1 mRNA expression in arcuate nucleus (ARC) of neonatal rats. a Schematic representation of the experimental schedule of the experiment; EB estradiol benzoate, GDX gonadectomized, PND postnatal day. b Representative photographs of Kiss1 mRNA expressing neurons in ARC of postnatal day (PND) 7 males that were gonadectomized (GDX) or left intact on PND0 and females that received oil or estradiol benzoate (EB) injection on PND0. 3V third ventricle. Scale bar 100 μm. c Mean number of Kiss1 mRNA expressing neurons in ARC of each experimental group. Error bars SEM. Bars labeled with different letters are significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). d Representative single optical sections showing Kiss1 mRNA expressing neurons (red, arrows) which coexpressed ERα (green) in ARC of male rats that were GDX on PND0 and female that received oil injection at PND0. Scale bar 25 μm