Fig. 3: The morphological distribution of the MeA^OXTR+AI and MeA^OXTR+VMHvl populations.

a, b Diagram showing virus injection regimen (adapted from The Mouse Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates by Paxinos and Franklin, a) and schedule (b). c, d Representative images of rAAV-retro-mCherry (red) and rAAV-retro-EGFP (green) injection sites at the AI (c) and VMHvl (d). Scale bars, 500 μm. 4 independent repetitions with similar results in (c) and (d). e, f Representative overlapped images of dual-retrograde rAAVs tracing and OXTR antibody (AF647, magenta) at both PD and PV subregions (e). The enlarged views of the selected boxed areas (300 μm × 300 μm). f White arrows indicate MeA^AI+OXTR and MeA^VMHvl+OXTR. Yellow arrows indicate merged neurons (MeA^{AI+OXTR+VMHvl}). Scale bars, 200 μm (e) and 50 μm (f). g Proportion of different retrograde virus-positive and overlapped neurons expressing OXTR along the anteroposterior axis of the MeA. MeA^AI versus MeA^AI+VMHvl, p < 0.001, =0.036, <0.001, =0.004 and <0.001 at bregma −0.85, −1.04, −1.20, −1.36 and −1.50 mm, respectively; MeA^VMHvl versus MeA^AI+VMHvl, p < 0.001, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, and <0.001 at bregma −0.85, −1.04, −1.20, −1.36, and −1.50 mm, respectively. h Proportion of different virus-positive cells expressing OXTR and of the anti-OXTR cells in the total MeA cells. MeA^AI versus MeA^Overall, p = 0.0017; MeA^VMHvl versus MeA^Overall, p = 0.0013; n = 4 voles in (g) and (h). ^***p < 0.001, ^**p < 0.01, ^*p < 0.05. Data was analyzed by repeated measure two-way (g) and one-way (h) ANOVA with Sidak’s multiple comparison test. Data are presented as the means +/− SEM. Statistical details are presented in Supplementary Data. 1 file. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. IF  immunofluorescence experiment.