Growth hormone receptor contributes to the activation of STAT5 in the hypothalamus of pregnant mice

•Increased pulsatile growth hormone (GH) secretion in late pregnant mice.•Neuronal GH receptor deletion (NestinΔGHR mice) blunts GH-induced pSTAT5 in the brain.•Normal pSTAT5 expression in the paraventricular nucleus of pregnant NestinΔGHR mice.•Reduced pSTAT5 expression in the arcuate nucleus of pregnant NestinΔGHR mice.•Reduced pSTAT5 expression in the ventromedial nucleus of pregnant NestinΔGHR mice.