Fig. 1

Oxtr mRNA and OxtR protein are expressed in mouse retinal INL and GCL. A Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) images of Oxtr in male (left) and female (middle) mouse retinas. No signal was detected in the negative probe group (right). B OxtR protein is expressed in mouse retina and RPE. Top: OxtR protein level expression in the only retina, both retina and RPE, and only RPE of one mouse, determined by the Western blot assay. Bottom: summary of relative OxtR protein levels. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, n = 6 mice, including 3 males and 3 females, one-way ANOVA with Holm-Sidak post hoc tests. C An example image showing eYFP⁺ neurons in the retinal section in Oxtr-Cre; Ai3 mouse. D Summary of the proportion of eYFP⁺ neurons in retinal distal INL, proximal INL, and GCL. n = 622 eYFP⁺ neurons from 2 male and 2 female mice. E Confocal images showing the co-localization of eYFP⁺ neuron (GFP IF, green) and Oxtr mRNA puncta (magenta) in the proximal INL and GCL. F Summary of Oxtr mRNA fluorescence intensity in eYFP⁺ neurons. n = 99 and 52 eYFP⁺ neurons for proximal INL and GCL from 2 mice (1 male and 1 female), respectively. Insets indicate the ratios of eYFP⁺ neurons with Oxtr fluorescence intensity higher than 200 a.u. G The response traces of one Spiking eYFP⁺ neuron (left) and one non-spiking eYFP⁺ neuron (right) in the GCL before (top) and during (bottom) application of 1 μM oxytocin when blocking glutamatergic, GABAergic, and glycinergic synaptic neurotransmissions. H Summary of oxytocin-induced resting membrane potential change. *p < 0.05, n = 9 neurons, paired t-test. Inset indicates the firing rate (FR) increment of the spiking eYFP⁺ neuron. *p < 0.05, n = 6 neurons, one sample t-test