151
|
Marín Gabriel MA, Olza Fernández I, Malalana Martínez AM, González Armengod C, Costarelli V, Millán Santos I, Fernández-Cañadas Morillo A, Pérez Riveiro P, López Sánchez F, García Murillo L. Intrapartum synthetic oxytocin reduce the expression of primitive reflexes associated with breastfeeding. Breastfeed Med 2015; 10:209-13. [PMID: 25785487 PMCID: PMC4410763 DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2014.0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
AIM Several synthetic peptide manipulations during the time surrounding birth can alter the specific neurohormonal status in the newborn brain. This study is aimed at assessing whether intrapartum oxytocin administration has any effect on primitive neonatal reflexes and determining whether such an effect is dose-dependent. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cohort prospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital. Mother-infant dyads who received intrapartum oxytocin (n=53) were compared with mother-infant dyads who did not receive intrapartum oxytocin (n=45). Primitive neonatal reflexes (endogenous, antigravity, motor, and rhythmic reflexes) were quantified by analyzing videotaped breastfeeding sessions in a biological nurturing position. Two observers blind to the group assignment and the oxytocin dose analyzed the videotapes and assesed the newborn's state of consciousness according to the Brazelton scale. RESULTS The release of all rhythmic reflexes (p=0.01), the antigravity reflex (p=0.04), and total primitive neonatal reflexes (p=0.02) in the group exposed to oxytocin was lower than in the group not exposed to oxytocin. No correlations were observed between the dose of oxytocin administered and the percentage of primitive neonatal reflexes released (r=0.03; p=0.82). CONCLUSIONS Intrapartum oxytocin administration might inhibit the expression of several primitive neonatal reflexes associated with breastfeeding. This correlation does not seem to be dose-dependent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Marín Gabriel
- 1 Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda , Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
152
|
Parental Neuropathic Pain Influences Emotion-Related Behavior in Offspring Through Maternal Feeding Associated with DNA Methylation of Amygdale in Rats. Neurochem Res 2015; 40:1179-87. [PMID: 25894685 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-015-1578-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain has currently become a remarkable public health concern, considerably damaging not only the physiological but also the psychological aspects of humans. This study investigated whether neuropathic pain affects maternal care and assessed the effect of parental neuropathic pain on the development of neuropathic pain and emotion among offspring. Our results showed that mother rats suffered from chronic constriction injury (CCI) exhibited defective maternal care. The offspring fed by CCI mother rats (own or cross-fed) showed a significant increase in anxiety and anxiety-related behavior compared with that fed by sham-operated mother rats. The offspring fed by CCI mother rats also displayed decreased oxytocin expression in their supraoptic nucleus than that fed by sham-operated mother rats. Moreover, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)1 expression in the amygdale was increased, whereas DNMT3a and DNMT3b expressions remained the same in offspring fed by CCI mother rats, as detected with immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. In addition, the total DNA methylation in amygdale was upregulated in offspring fed by CCI mother rats. Considering the above findings, the data of this study suggest that parental neuropathic pain influences emotion-related behavior in offspring through maternal feeding behavior rather than through genetic factors and pregnancy experience that was associated with DNA methylation of amygdale in offspring.
Collapse
|
153
|
Samuel S, Hayton B, Gold I, Feeley N, Carter CS, Zelkowitz P. Attachment security and recent stressful life events predict oxytocin levels: a pilot study of pregnant women with high levels of cumulative psychosocial adversity. Attach Hum Dev 2015; 17:272-87. [PMID: 25862151 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2015.1029951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent reports indicate that prenatal levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) are inversely related to depressive symptomatology and positively associated with more optimal interactive behaviors in mothers with high levels of cumulative psychosocial adversity (CPA). In the present pilot study, we aimed to identify factors associated with high versus low levels of OT in pregnant women with high levels of CPA. We hypothesized that insecurely attached women, and those who recently experienced stressful life events (SLE), would have lower levels of prenatal OT. METHODS Thirty pregnant women with mood and anxiety disorders and high levels of CPA were recruited from the perinatal mental health service of a general hospital. Participants completed self-report measures of psychosocial stress and adult attachment style, and blood was then drawn to assess OT. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Lower OT levels were found among those who were insecurely attached, and among those who experienced SLE within the last year. In a multiple linear regression, both attachment security and SLE significantly contributed to a model of prenatal OT levels. These individual difference factors explained 38% of the variance in prenatal OT, which may in turn predict poorer maternal mental health and caregiving outcomes during the postpartum period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simcha Samuel
- a Department of Psychology , McGill University , Montreal , Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
154
|
Plasticity during motherhood: changes in excitatory and inhibitory layer 2/3 neurons in auditory cortex. J Neurosci 2015; 35:1806-15. [PMID: 25632153 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1786-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal behavior can be triggered by auditory and olfactory cues originating from the newborn. Here we report how the transition to motherhood affects excitatory and inhibitory neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of the mouse primary auditory cortex. We used in vivo two-photon targeted cell-attached recording to compare the response properties of parvalbumin-expressing neurons (PVNs) and pyramidal glutamatergic neurons (PyrNs). The transition to motherhood shifts the average best frequency of PVNs to higher frequency by a full octave, with no significant effect on average best frequency of PyrNs. The presence of pup odors significantly reduced the spontaneous and evoked activity of PVN. This reduction of feedforward inhibition coincides with a complimentary increase in spontaneous and evoked activity of PyrNs. The selective shift of PVN frequency tuning should render pup odor-induced disinhibition more effective for high-frequency stimuli, such as ultrasonic vocalizations. Indeed, pup odors increased neuronal responses of PyrNs to pup ultrasonic vocalizations. We conclude that plasticity in the mothers is mediated, at least in part, via modulation of the feedforward inhibition circuitry in the auditory cortex.
Collapse
|
155
|
Štefánik P, Olexová L, Kršková L. Increased sociability and gene expression of oxytocin and its receptor in the brains of rats affected prenatally by valproic acid. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 131:42-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
|
156
|
Mascaro JS, Darcher A, Negi LT, Raison CL. The neural mediators of kindness-based meditation: a theoretical model. Front Psychol 2015; 6:109. [PMID: 25729374 PMCID: PMC4325657 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although kindness-based contemplative practices are increasingly employed by clinicians and cognitive researchers to enhance prosocial emotions, social cognitive skills, and well-being, and as a tool to understand the basic workings of the social mind, we lack a coherent theoretical model with which to test the mechanisms by which kindness-based meditation may alter the brain and body. Here, we link contemplative accounts of compassion and loving-kindness practices with research from social cognitive neuroscience and social psychology to generate predictions about how diverse practices may alter brain structure and function and related aspects of social cognition. Contingent on the nuances of the practice, kindness-based meditation may enhance the neural systems related to faster and more basic perceptual or motor simulation processes, simulation of another's affective body state, slower and higher-level perspective-taking, modulatory processes such as emotion regulation and self/other discrimination, and combinations thereof. This theoretical model will be discussed alongside best practices for testing such a model and potential implications and applications of future work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Mascaro
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alana Darcher
- Department of Anthropology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Charles L. Raison
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of ArizonaTucson, AZ, USA
- The John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life SciencesTucson, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
157
|
Stamatakis A, Kalpachidou T, Raftogianni A, Zografou E, Tzanou A, Pondiki S, Stylianopoulou F. Rat dams exposed repeatedly to a daily brief separation from the pups exhibit increased maternal behavior, decreased anxiety and altered levels of receptors for estrogens (ERα, ERβ), oxytocin and serotonin (5-HT1A) in their brain. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 52:212-28. [PMID: 25486578 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we investigated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying expression of maternal behavior. Increased maternal behavior was experimentally induced by a brief 15-min separation between the mother and the pups during postnatal days 1 to 22. On postnatal days (PND) 12 and 22, we determined in experimental and control dams levels of anxiety in the elevated plus maze (EPM) as well as the levels of receptors for estrogens (ERα, ERβ), oxytocin (OTR) and serotonin (5-HT1AR) in areas of the limbic system (prefrontal cortex-PFC, hippocampus, lateral septum-SL, medial preoptic area-MPOA, shell of nucleus accumbens-nAc-Sh, central-CeA and basolateral-BLA amygdala), involved in the regulation of maternal behavior. Experimental dams, which showed increased maternal behavior towards their offspring, displayed reduced anxiety in the EPM on both PND12 and PND22. These behavioral differences could be attributed to neurochemical alterations in their brain: On both PND12 and PND22, experimental mothers had higher levels of ERα and OTRs in the PFC, hippocampus, CeA, SL, MPOA and nAc-Sh. The experimental manipulation-induced increase in ERβ levels was less widespread, being localized in PFC, the hippocampal CA2 area, MPOA and nAc-Sh. In addition, 5-HT1ARs were reduced in the PFC, hippocampus, CeA, MPOA and nAc-Sh of the experimental mothers. Our results show that the experience of the daily repeated brief separation from the pups results in increased brain ERs and OTRs, as well as decreased 5-HT1ARs in the dam's brain; these neurochemical changes could underlie the observed increase in maternal behavior and the reduction of anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Theodora Kalpachidou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Androniki Raftogianni
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratia Zografou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Tzanou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Stavroula Pondiki
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Fotini Stylianopoulou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
158
|
Perkeybile AM, Bales KL. Early rearing experience is related to altered aggression and vasopressin production following chronic social isolation in the prairie vole. Behav Brain Res 2015; 283:37-46. [PMID: 25623420 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parent-offspring interactions early in life can permanently shape the developmental path of those offspring. Manipulation of maternal care has long been used to alter the early-life environment of infants and impacts their later social behavior, aggression, and physiology. More recently, naturally occurring variation in maternal licking and grooming behavior has been shown to result in differences in social behavior and stress physiology in adult offspring. We have developed a model of natural variation in biparental care in the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and have demonstrated an association between the amount of early care received and later social behavior. In this study, we investigate the relationship between early life care and later aggression and neuroendocrine responses following chronic social isolation. Male and female offspring were reared by their high-contact (HC) or low-contact (LC) parents, then housed for 4 weeks post-weaning in social isolation. After 4 weeks, half of these offspring underwent an intrasexual aggression test. Brains and plasma were collected to measure corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin (AVP) immunoreactivity and plasma corticosterone (CORT). Male offspring of LC parents engaged in more aggressive behavior in the intrasexual aggression test compared to HC males. Female offspring of HC parents had higher plasma CORT levels after chronic social isolation and increases in the number and density of AVP-immunopositive cells in the supraoptic nucleus following an intrasexual aggression test. These findings show that the impact of early life biparental care on behavior and HPA activity following a social stressor is both sex-dependent and early experience-specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
159
|
Uvnäs-Moberg K, Handlin L, Petersson M. Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1529. [PMID: 25628581 PMCID: PMC4290532 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin, a hypothalamic nonapeptide, is linked to increased levels of social interaction, well-being and anti-stress effects. The effects of oxytocin that is released by sensory stimulation during different kinds of interactive behaviors are often underestimated or even forgotten. In fact, many of the positive effects caused during interaction, such a wellbeing, stress reduction and even health promotion, are indeed linked to oxytocin released in response to activation of various types of sensory nerves. Oxytocin is released in response to activation of sensory nerves during labor, breastfeeding and sexual activity. In addition oxytocin is released in response to low intensity stimulation of the skin, e.g., in response to touch, stroking, warm temperature, etc. Consequently oxytocin is not only released during interaction between mothers and infants, but also during positive interaction between adults or between humans and animals. Finally oxytocin is also released in response to suckling and food intake. Oxytocin released in the brain in response to sensory stimulation as a consequence of these types of interactive behaviors, contributes to every day wellbeing and ability to handle stress. Food intake or sex may be used or even abused to achieve oxytocin-linked wellbeing and stress relief to compensate for lack of good relationships or when the levels of anxiety are high. The present review article will summarize the role played by oxytocin released by sensory (in particular somatosensory) stimulation, during various kinds of interactive behaviors. Also the fact that the anti-stress effects of oxytocin are particularly strong when oxytocin is released in response to “low intensity” stimulation of the skin will be highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Skara, Sweden ; School of Health and Education, University of Skövde , Skövde, Sweden
| | - Linda Handlin
- School of Health and Education, University of Skövde , Skövde, Sweden
| | - Maria Petersson
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
160
|
Hoeijmakers L, Lucassen PJ, Korosi A. The interplay of early-life stress, nutrition, and immune activation programs adult hippocampal structure and function. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 7:103. [PMID: 25620909 PMCID: PMC4288131 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity increases the vulnerability to develop psychopathologies and cognitive decline later in life. This association is supported by clinical and preclinical studies. Remarkably, experiences of stress during this sensitive period, in the form of abuse or neglect but also early malnutrition or an early immune challenge elicit very similar long-term effects on brain structure and function. During early-life, both exogenous factors like nutrition and maternal care, as well as endogenous modulators, including stress hormones and mediator of immunological activity affect brain development. The interplay of these key elements and their underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We discuss here the hypothesis that exposure to early-life adversity (specifically stress, under/malnutrition and infection) leads to life-long alterations in hippocampal-related cognitive functions, at least partly via changes in hippocampal neurogenesis. We further discuss how these different key elements of the early-life environment interact and affect one another and suggest that it is a synergistic action of these elements that shapes cognition throughout life. Finally, we consider different intervention studies aiming to prevent these early-life adversity induced consequences. The emerging evidence for the intriguing interplay of stress, nutrition, and immune activity in the early-life programming calls for a more in depth understanding of the interaction of these elements and the underlying mechanisms. This knowledge will help to develop intervention strategies that will converge on a more complete set of changes induced by early-life adversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Hoeijmakers
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
161
|
Jobst A, Sabass L, Palagyi A, Bauriedl-Schmidt C, Mauer MC, Sarubin N, Buchheim A, Renneberg B, Falkai P, Zill P, Padberg F. Effects of social exclusion on emotions and oxytocin and cortisol levels in patients with chronic depression. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 60:170-7. [PMID: 25466833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with chronic depression (CD) experience a high burden of disease, severe co-morbidity, and increased mortality. Although interpersonal dysfunction is a hallmark of CD, the underlying mechanisms are largely unexplored. Oxytocin (OT) has been proposed to play a crucial role in the social deficits of mental disorders and has been found to be dysregulated after social exclusion (ostracism) in patients with borderline personality disorder. This study investigated how social exclusion affects emotions, OT levels, and cortisol (CT) levels in CD patients. METHOD Twenty-one patients diagnosed with CD and 21 healthy controls (HC) matched for gender, age, and education underwent repeated neuroendocrine measurements in a standardized laboratory setting while playing Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game that mimics a social exclusion situation. Emotional reactions, plasma OT and cortisol levels were assessed at baseline and 5, 15, and 40 min after Cyberball. RESULTS At baseline, there were no group differences in OT levels. Immediately after playing Cyberball, plasma OT levels showed divergent changes in CD patients and HC; the difference in direction of change was significant with a reduction in CD patients compared to HC (p = .035*); CT levels did not differ between groups at any time point, but decreased over time. Patients showed more threatened emotional needs and increased negative emotions, especially anger and resentment, and showed higher sensitivity to ambiguous threat of social exclusion than healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS CD patients react to ostracism with pronounced negative emotions. The reduction in OT levels in CD patients after social exclusion may contribute to their interpersonal dysfunction and their difficulty in coping adequately with aversive social cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Jobst
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lena Sabass
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Palagyi
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Maria Christine Mauer
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina Sarubin
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Babette Renneberg
- Department of Psychology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Zill
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Padberg
- Department of Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
162
|
Lindeyer CM, Langen EM, Swaney WT, Reader SM. Nonapeptide influences on social behaviour: effects of vasotocin and isotocin on shoaling and interaction in zebrafish. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nonapeptides are important regulators of social behaviour across vertebrate taxa. While their role in simple grouping behaviour has been explored in estrildid finches, other taxa are understudied, prompting us to investigate nonapeptide influences on shoaling behaviour in zebrafish. Subjects received injections of isotocin, an isotocin antagonist, vasotocin, a vasotocin antagonist, or saline, followed by a test of grouping behaviour. Vasotocin decreased social interaction with the shoal. Unexpectedly, the vasotocin antagonist also reduced social interaction with the shoal, as well as general shoaling behaviour. Isotocin and its antagonist had minimal effects on grouping behaviours. These results suggest social interaction and shoaling are discrete aspects of sociality differentially influenced by vasotocin, although we cannot discount possible anxiogenic effects of vasotocin. Contrasting these results with studies in other systems demonstrates that each nonapeptide’s role in social behaviour varies across taxa, and cautions against a simplistic characterisation of nonapeptides as prosocial regulators of behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M. Lindeyer
- aDepartment of Biology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Esther M.A. Langen
- aDepartment of Biology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- bDepartment of Animal Behaviour, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - William T. Swaney
- aDepartment of Biology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- cSchool of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Simon M. Reader
- aDepartment of Biology and Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- dDepartment of Biology, McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
163
|
Alves E, Fielder A, Ghabriel N, Sawyer M, Buisman-Pijlman FTA. Early social environment affects the endogenous oxytocin system: a review and future directions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:32. [PMID: 25814979 PMCID: PMC4356154 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous oxytocin plays an important role in a wide range of human functions including birth, milk ejection during lactation, and facilitation of social interaction. There is increasing evidence that both variations in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and concentrations of oxytocin are associated with differences in these functions. The causes for the differences that have been observed in tonic and stimulated oxytocin release remain unclear. Previous reviews have suggested that across the life course, these differences may be due to individual factors, e.g., genetic variation (of the OXTR), age or sex, or be the result of early environmental influences, such as social experiences, stress, or trauma partly by inducing epigenetic changes. This review has three aims. First, we briefly discuss the endogenous oxytocin system, including physiology, development, individual differences, and function. Second, current models describing the relationship between the early life environment and the development of the oxytocin system in humans and animals are discussed. Finally, we describe research designs that can be used to investigate the effects of the early environment on the oxytocin system, identifying specific areas of research that need further attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Alves
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Emily Alves and Femke T.A. Buisman-Pijlman, Adelaide University, 30 Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia e-mail: ;
| | - Andrea Fielder
- School of Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nerelle Ghabriel
- School of Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael Sawyer
- School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Research and Evaluation Unit, Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Femke T. A. Buisman-Pijlman
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Emily Alves and Femke T.A. Buisman-Pijlman, Adelaide University, 30 Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia e-mail: ;
| |
Collapse
|
164
|
Catanese MC, Suvorov A, Vandenberg LN. Beyond a means of exposure: a new view of the mother in toxicology research. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c4tx00119b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxicological studies generally view pregnant animals as a conduit through which gestational exposure of offspring to chemicals can be achieved, allowing for the study of developmental toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary C. Catanese
- Program in Neuroscience & Behaviour
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- Amherst
- USA
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Program in Neuroscience & Behaviour
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- Amherst
- USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences
| | - Laura N. Vandenberg
- Program in Neuroscience & Behaviour
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- Amherst
- USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences
| |
Collapse
|
165
|
Hammock EAD. Developmental perspectives on oxytocin and vasopressin. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:24-42. [PMID: 24863032 PMCID: PMC4262889 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The related neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in species-typical behavior, including social recognition behavior, maternal behavior, social bonding, communication, and aggression. A wealth of evidence from animal models demonstrates significant modulation of adult social behavior by both of these neuropeptides and their receptors. Over the last decade, there has been a flood of studies in humans also implicating a role for these neuropeptides in human social behavior. Despite popular assumptions that oxytocin is a molecule of social bonding in the infant brain, less mechanistic research emphasis has been placed on the potential role of these neuropeptides in the developmental emergence of the neural substrates of behavior. This review summarizes what is known and assumed about the developmental influence of these neuropeptides and outlines the important unanswered questions and testable hypotheses. There is tremendous translational need to understand the functions of these neuropeptides in mammalian experience-dependent development of the social brain. The activity of oxytocin and vasopressin during development should inform our understanding of individual, sex, and species differences in social behavior later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A D Hammock
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
166
|
Rich ME, Caldwell HK. A Role for Oxytocin in the Etiology and Treatment of Schizophrenia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:90. [PMID: 26089815 PMCID: PMC4453483 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder estimated to affect 51 million people worldwide. Several symptom domains characterize schizophrenia, including negative symptoms, such as social withdrawal and anhedonia, cognitive impairments, such as disorganized thinking and impaired memory, and positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. While schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with no single "cause," there is evidence that the oxytocin (Oxt) system may be dysregulated in some individuals. Further, treatment with intranasal Oxt reduces some of the heterogeneous symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Since Oxt is known for its modulatory effects on a variety of social and non-social behaviors, it is perhaps not surprising that it may contribute to some aspects of schizophrenia and could also be a useful therapeutic agent. In this review, we highlight what is known about Oxt's contributions to schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related behaviors and discuss its potential as a therapeutic agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan Elizabeth Rich
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Heather Kingsley Caldwell
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
- *Correspondence: Heather Kingsley Caldwell, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, PO Box 5190, 121 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH 44242, USA,
| |
Collapse
|
167
|
Vargas-Martínez F, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Petersson M, Olausson HA, Jiménez-Estrada I. Neuropeptides as neuroprotective agents: Oxytocin a forefront developmental player in the mammalian brain. Prog Neurobiol 2014; 123:37-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
168
|
Feeser M, Fan Y, Weigand A, Hahn A, Gärtner M, Aust S, Böker H, Bajbouj M, Grimm S. The beneficial effect of oxytocin on avoidance-related facial emotion recognition depends on early life stress experience. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:4735-44. [PMID: 24871703 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3631-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Previous studies have shown that oxytocin (OXT) enhances social cognitive processes. It has also been demonstrated that OXT does not uniformly facilitate social cognition. The effects of OXT administration strongly depend on the exposure to stressful experiences in early life. Emotional facial recognition is crucial for social cognition. However, no study has yet examined how the effects of OXT on the ability to identify emotional faces are altered by early life stress (ELS) experiences. Given the role of OXT in modulating social motivational processes, we specifically aimed to investigate its effects on the recognition of approach- and avoidance-related facial emotions. METHODS In a double-blind, between-subjects, placebo-controlled design, 82 male participants performed an emotion recognition task with faces taken from the "Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces" set. We clustered the six basic emotions along the dimensions approach (happy, surprise, anger) and avoidance (fear, sadness, disgust). ELS was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). RESULTS Our results showed that OXT improved the ability to recognize avoidance-related emotional faces as compared to approach-related emotional faces. Whereas the performance for avoidance-related emotions in participants with higher ELS scores was comparable in both OXT and placebo condition, OXT enhanced emotion recognition in participants with lower ELS scores. Independent of OXT administration, we observed increased emotion recognition for avoidance-related faces in participants with high ELS scores. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the investigation of OXT on social recognition requires a broad approach that takes ELS experiences as well as motivational processes into account.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Feeser
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
169
|
Quattrocki E, Friston K. Autism, oxytocin and interoception. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 47:410-30. [PMID: 25277283 PMCID: PMC4726659 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by profound social and verbal communication deficits, stereotypical motor behaviors, restricted interests, and cognitive abnormalities. Autism affects approximately 1% of children in developing countries. Given this prevalence, identifying risk factors and therapeutic interventions are pressing objectives—objectives that rest on neurobiologically grounded and psychologically informed theories about the underlying pathophysiology. In this article, we review the evidence that autism could result from a dysfunctional oxytocin system early in life. As a mediator of successful procreation, not only in the reproductive system, but also in the brain, oxytocin plays a crucial role in sculpting socio-sexual behavior. Formulated within a (Bayesian) predictive coding framework, we propose that oxytocin encodes the saliency or precision of interoceptive signals and enables the neuronal plasticity necessary for acquiring a generative model of the emotional and social 'self.' An aberrant oxytocin system in infancy could therefore help explain the marked deficits in language and social communication—as well as the sensory, autonomic, motor, behavioral, and cognitive abnormalities—seen in autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Quattrocki
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
170
|
|
171
|
Eapen V, Dadds M, Barnett B, Kohlhoff J, Khan F, Radom N, Silove DM. Separation anxiety, attachment and inter-personal representations: disentangling the role of oxytocin in the perinatal period. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107745. [PMID: 25229827 PMCID: PMC4168132 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we aimed to assess cross-sectionally and longitudinally associations between disturbances in maternal early attachment experiences, symptoms of separation anxiety and depression and oxytocin plasma levels. We examined a mediational model that tested the hypothesis that anxious attachment style arising from the mothers’ early bonding experiences with her own parents was associated with high levels of separation anxiety which, via its impact on depression, was associated with reduced levels of oxytocin in the postnatal period. Data is reported on a structured sample of 127 women recruited during pregnancy from a general hospital antenatal clinic and an initial follow up cohort of 57 women who were re-assessed at 3-months post-partum. We found an association between lower oxytocin level in the post partum period and symptoms of separation anxiety and depression during pregnancy, as well as maternal negative interpersonal representations, upbringing attributes and anxious attachment style. Further meditational analysis revealed that the unique association between anxious attachment and depression is mediated by separation anxiety and that depressed mood mediated the relationship between separation anxiety and oxytocin. In conjunction with evidence from the literature suggesting that lower oxytocin level is associated with bonding difficulties, our findings have significant implications for understanding the biological processes underpinning adverse attachment experiences, negative affect state, and mother-to-infant bonding difficulties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valsamma Eapen
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Mark Dadds
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bryanne Barnett
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Karitane, Villawood, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Feroza Khan
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Naomi Radom
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Derrick M. Silove
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
172
|
Chang SWC, Platt ML. Oxytocin and social cognition in rhesus macaques: implications for understanding and treating human psychopathology. Brain Res 2014; 1580:57-68. [PMID: 24231551 PMCID: PMC4017005 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence from humans and non-human animals indicates that the neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin (OT) evolved to serve a specialized function in social behavior in mammals. Although OT-based therapies are currently being evaluated as remedies for social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders, precisely how OT regulates complex social processes remains largely unknown. Here we describe how a non-human primate model can be used to understand the mechanisms by which OT regulates social cognition and thereby inform its clinical application in humans. We focus primarily on recent advances in our understanding of OT-mediated social cognition in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), supplemented by discussion of recent work in humans, other primates, and rodents. Together, these studies endorse the hypothesis that OT promotes social exploration both by amplifying social motivation and by attenuating social vigilance. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, B203 Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Box 90999, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Michael L Platt
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, B203 Levine Science Research Center, Duke University, Box 90999, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| |
Collapse
|
173
|
Gigliucci V, Leonzino M, Busnelli M, Luchetti A, Palladino VS, D’Amato FR, Chini B. Region specific up-regulation of oxytocin receptors in the opioid oprm1 (-/-) mouse model of autism. Front Pediatr 2014; 2:91. [PMID: 25225634 PMCID: PMC4150055 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2014.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by impaired communication, social impairments, and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Recently, altered motivation and reward processes have been suggested to participate in the physiopathology of ASDs, and μ-opioid receptors (MORs) have been investigated in relation to social reward due to their involvement in the neural circuitry of reward. Mice lacking a functional MOR gene (Oprm1 (-/-) mice) display abnormal social behavior and major autistic-like core symptoms, making them an animal model of autism. The oxytocin (OXT) system is a key regulator of social behavior and co-operates with the opioidergic system in the modulation of social behavior. To better understand the opioid-OXT interplay in the central nervous system, we first determined the expression of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in the brain of WT C57BL6/J mice by quantitative autoradiography; we then evaluated OXTR regional alterations in Oprm1 (-/-) mice. Moreover, we tested these mice in a paradigm of social behavior, the male-female social interaction test, and analyzed the effects of acute intranasal OXT treatment on their performance. In autoradiography, Oprm1 (-/-) mice selectively displayed increased OXTR expression in the Medial Anterior Olfactory Nucleus, the Central and Medial Amygdaloid nuclei, and the Nucleus Accumbens. Our behavioral results confirmed that Oprm1 (-/-) male mice displayed social impairments, as indicated by reduced ultrasonic calls, and that these were rescued by a single intranasal administration of OXT. Taken together, our results provide evidence of an interaction between OXT and opioids in socially relevant brain areas and in the modulation of social behavior. Moreover, they suggest that the oxytocinergic system may act as a compensative mechanism to bypass and/or restore alterations in circuits linked to impaired social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marianna Leonzino
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Busnelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Luchetti
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca R. D’Amato
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Bice Chini
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
174
|
Loth E, Poline JB, Thyreau B, Jia T, Tao C, Lourdusamy A, Stacey D, Cattrell A, Desrivières S, Ruggeri B, Fritsch V, Banaschewski T, Barker GJ, Bokde ALW, Büchel C, Carvalho FM, Conrod PJ, Fauth-Buehler M, Flor H, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Heinz A, Bruehl R, Lawrence C, Mann K, Martinot JL, Nees F, Paus T, Pausova Z, Poustka L, Rietschel M, Smolka M, Struve M, Feng J, Schumann G. Oxytocin receptor genotype modulates ventral striatal activity to social cues and response to stressful life events. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 76:367-76. [PMID: 24120094 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2012] [Revised: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 07/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Common variants in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been shown to influence social and affective behavior and to moderate the effect of adverse experiences on risk for social-affective problems. However, the intermediate neurobiological mechanisms are not fully understood. Although human functional neuroimaging studies have reported that oxytocin effects on social behavior and emotional states are mediated by amygdala function, animal models indicate that oxytocin receptors in the ventral striatum (VS) modulate sensitivity to social reinforcers. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate OXTR-dependent brain mechanisms associated with social-affective problems. METHODS In a sample of 1445 adolescents we tested the effect of 23-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms across the OXTR region and stressful life events (SLEs) on functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen level-dependent activity in the VS and amygdala to animated angry faces. Single nucleotide polymorphisms for which gene-wide significant effects on brain function were found were then carried forward to examine associations with social-affective problems. RESULTS A gene-wide significant effect of rs237915 showed that adolescents with minor CC-genotype had significantly lower VS activity than CT/TT-carriers. Significant or nominally significant gene × environment effects on emotional problems (in girls) and peer problems (in boys) revealed a strong increase in clinical symptoms as a function of SLEs in CT/TT-carriers but not CC-homozygotes. However, in low-SLE environments, CC-homozygotes had more emotional problems (girls) and peer problems (boys). Moreover, among CC-homozygotes, reduced VS activity was related to more peer problems. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a common OXTR-variant affects brain responsiveness to negative social cues and that in "risk-carriers" reduced sensitivity is simultaneously associated with more social-affective problems in "favorable environments" and greater resilience against stressful experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Loth
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London.
| | | | | | - Tianye Jia
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Chenyang Tao
- Center for Computational Systems Biology, School of Mathematical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Anbarasu Lourdusamy
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - David Stacey
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Anna Cattrell
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Barbara Ruggeri
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Virgile Fritsch
- Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CEA-Saclay Center
| | | | | | - Arun L W Bokde
- Institute of Neuroscience , Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Fabiana M Carvalho
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London
| | - Patricia J Conrod
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London; Department of Psychiatry , Université de Montreal, CHU St Justine Hosptial
| | | | - Herta Flor
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Mannheim
| | - Jürgen Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Institute of Neuroscience , Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
| | - Ruediger Bruehl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig und Berlin
| | - Claire Lawrence
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Karl Mann
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Mannheim
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM CEA Unit 1000 "Imaging and Psychiatry," University Paris Sud, Orsay, and AP-HP Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Mannheim
| | - Tomáš Paus
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Mannheim
| | | | - Michael Smolka
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Mannheim
| | - Maren Struve
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Neuroimaging Center, Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
175
|
Oxytocin reverses amphetamine-induced deficits in social bonding: evidence for an interaction with nucleus accumbens dopamine. J Neurosci 2014; 34:8499-506. [PMID: 24948805 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4275-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction has devastating consequences on social behaviors and can lead to the impairment of social bonding. Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations in oxytocin (OT) and dopamine (DA) neurotransmission within brain reward circuitry may be involved. We investigated this possibility, as well as the therapeutic potential of OT for drug-induced social deficits, using the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)-a socially monogamous rodent that forms enduring pair bonds between adult mates. We demonstrate that repeated exposure to the commonly abused psychostimulant amphetamine (AMPH) inhibits the formation of partner preferences (an index of pair bonding) in female prairie voles. AMPH exposure also altered OT and DA neurotransmission in regions that mediate partner preference formation: it decreased OT and DA D2 receptor immunoreactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc), respectively, and increased NAcc DA levels. Administration of OT directly into the mPFC of AMPH-exposed voles restored partner preferences, and altered NAcc DA levels, and this effect was dependent on OT receptor activation. Together, these data suggest that repeated AMPH exposure impairs pair bonding through an OT-mediated mechanism, and that OT and DA systems within brain reward circuitry may interact to mediate the complex relationship between drug abuse and social bonding. Further, these results provide empirical support for the idea that the central OT system may represent an important target for the treatment of social deficits in addiction.
Collapse
|
176
|
Sabihi S, Dong SM, Durosko NE, Leuner B. Oxytocin in the medial prefrontal cortex regulates maternal care, maternal aggression and anxiety during the postpartum period. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:258. [PMID: 25147513 PMCID: PMC4123787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) acts on a widespread network of brain regions to regulate numerous behavioral adaptations during the postpartum period including maternal care, maternal aggression, and anxiety. In the present study, we examined whether this network also includes the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that bilateral infusion of a highly specific oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTR-A) into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC increased anxiety-like behavior in postpartum, but not virgin, females. In addition, OTR blockade in the postpartum mPFC impaired maternal care behaviors and enhanced maternal aggression. Overall, these results suggest that OT in the mPFC modulates maternal care and aggression, as well as anxiety-like behavior, during the postpartum period. Although the relationship among these behaviors is complicated and further investigation is required to refine our understanding of OT actions in the maternal mPFC, these data nonetheless provide new insights into neural circuitry of OT-mediated postpartum behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sabihi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shirley M Dong
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicole E Durosko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
177
|
Peña CJ, Champagne FA. Neonatal overexpression of estrogen receptor-α alters midbrain dopamine neuron development and reverses the effects of low maternal care in female offspring. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 75:1114-24. [PMID: 25044746 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2014] [Revised: 06/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Maternal behavior is dependent on estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα; Esr1) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) signaling in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus, as well as dopamine signaling from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to forebrain regions. Previous studies in rats indicate that low levels of maternal care, particularly licking/grooming (LG), lead to reduced levels of MPOA ERα and VTA dopamine neurons in female offspring and predict lower levels of postpartum maternal behavior by these offspring. The aim of this study was to determine the functional impact on maternal behavior of neonatal manipulation of ERα in females that had experienced low versus high levels of postnatal maternal LG. Adenovirus expressing ESR1 was targeted to the MPOA in female pups from low and high LG litters on postnatal day 2-3. Overexpression of ESR1 in low LG offspring elevated the level of ERα-immunoreactive cells in the MPOA and of tyrosine hydroxylase cells in the VTA to that observed in high LG females. Amongst juvenile female low LG offspring, ESR1 overexpression also decreased the latency to engage in maternal behavior toward donor pups. These results show that virally mediated expression of ESR1 in the neonatal rat hypothalamus results in lasting changes in ESR1 expression through the juvenile period, and can "rescue" hormone receptor levels and behavior of offspring reared by low LG dams, potentially mediated by downstream alterations within reward circuitry. Thus, the transmission of maternal behavior from one generation to the next can be augmented by neonatal ERα in the MPOA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Jensen Peña
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10029.,Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027
| | | |
Collapse
|
178
|
Zelkowitz P, Gold I, Feeley N, Hayton B, Carter CS, Tulandi T, Abenhaim HA, Levin P. Psychosocial stress moderates the relationships between oxytocin, perinatal depression, and maternal behavior. Horm Behav 2014; 66:351-60. [PMID: 24956026 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin (OT) is of particular interest in the study of childbearing women, as it has a role in the onset and course of labor and breastfeeding. Recent research has linked OT to maternal caregiving behavior towards her infant, and to postpartum depressive symptomatology. There is also evidence that psychosocial adversity affects the oxytocin system. The present study investigated the relationship of endogenous OT in women during pregnancy and at 8weeks postpartum to psychosocial stress, maternal symptoms of depression, and maternal sensitive behavior. It was hypothesized that OT would mediate the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on maternal interactive behavior. We also tested the hypothesis that psychosocial stress would moderate the relationship between OT and maternal depressive symptoms and sensitive behavior. A community sample of 287 women was assessed at 12-14weeks of gestation, 32-34weeks of gestation, and 7-9weeks postpartum. We measured plasma OT, maternal symptoms of depression and psychosocial stress. At the postpartum home visit, maternal behavior in interaction with the infant was videotaped, and then coded to assess sensitivity. In the sample as a whole, OT was not related to maternal depressive symptoms or to sensitive maternal behavior. However, among women who reported high levels of psychosocial stress, higher levels of plasma OT were associated with fewer depressive symptoms and more sensitive maternal behavior. These results suggest that endogenous OT may act as a buffer against the deleterious effects of stress, thereby protecting high risk women from developing depressive symptoms and promoting more sensitive maternal interactive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phyllis Zelkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Ian Gold
- Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nancy Feeley
- Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Barbara Hayton
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - C Sue Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Togas Tulandi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Haim A Abenhaim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pavel Levin
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
179
|
Rich ME, deCárdenas EJ, Lee HJ, Caldwell HK. Impairments in the initiation of maternal behavior in oxytocin receptor knockout mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98839. [PMID: 24892749 PMCID: PMC4044031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (Oxt) acting through its single receptor subtype, the Oxtr, is important for the coordination of physiology and behavior associated with parturition and maternal care. Knockout mouse models have been helpful in exploring the contributions of Oxt to maternal behavior, including total body Oxt knockout (Oxt −/−) mice, forebrain conditional Oxtr knockout (Oxtr FB/FB) mice, and total body Oxtr knockout (Oxtr −/−) mice. Since Oxtr −/− mice are unable to lactate, maternal behavior has only been examined in virgin females, or in dams within a few hours of parturition, and there have been no studies that have examined their anxiety-like and depression-like behavior following parturition. To improve our understanding of how the absence of Oxt signaling affects maternal behavior, mood and anxiety, we designed a study using Oxtr −/− mice that separated nursing behavior from other aspects of maternal care, such as licking and grooming by thelectomizing (i.e. removing the nipples) of Oxtr +/+ mice and sham-thelectomizing Oxtr −/− mice, and pairing both genotypes with a wet nurse. We then measured pup abandonment, maternal behavior, and postpartum anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors. We hypothesized that genetic disruption of the Oxtr would impact maternal care, mood and anxiety. Specifically, we predicted that Oxtr −/− dams would have impaired maternal care and increased anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in the postpartum period. We found that Oxtr −/− dams had significantly higher levels of pup abandonment compared to controls, which is consistent with previous work in Oxtr FB/FB mice. Interestingly, Oxtr −/− dams that initiated maternal care did not differ from wildtype controls in measures of maternal behavior. We also did not find any evidence of altered anxiety-like or depressive-like behavior in the postpartum period of Oxtr −/− dams. Thus, our data suggest that Oxt lowers the threshold for the initiation of maternal behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Rich
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Emily J. deCárdenas
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Heon-Jin Lee
- Department of Oral Microbiology, School of Dentistry and the Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Heather K. Caldwell
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
180
|
Harrison EL, Baune BT. Modulation of early stress-induced neurobiological changes: a review of behavioural and pharmacological interventions in animal models. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e390. [PMID: 24825729 PMCID: PMC4035722 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity alters the predisposition to psychiatric disorders later in life. Those with psychiatric conditions and a history of early adversity exhibit a higher incidence of treatment resistance compared with individuals with no such history. Modulation of the influence early stress exerts over neurobiology may help to prevent the development of psychiatric disorders in some cases, while attenuating the extent of treatment resistance in those with established psychiatric disorders. This review aims to critically evaluate the ability of behavioural, environmental and pharmacologic interventions to modulate neurobiological changes induced by early stress in animal models. Databases were systematically searched to locate literature relevant to this review. Early adversity was defined as stress that resulted from manipulation of the mother-infant relationship. Analysis was restricted to animal models to enable characterisation of how a given intervention altered specific neurobiological changes induced by early stress. A wide variety of changes in neurobiology due to early stress are amenable to intervention. Behavioural interventions in childhood, exercise in adolescence and administration of epigenetic-modifying drugs throughout life appear to best modulate cellar and behavioural alterations induced by childhood adversity. Other pharmacotherapies, such as endocannabinoid system modulators, anti-inflammatories and antidepressants can also influence these neurobiological and behavioural changes that result from early stress, although findings are less consistent at present and require further investigation. Further work is required to examine the influence that behavioural interventions, exercise and epigenetic-modifying drugs exert over alterations that occur following childhood stress in human studies, before possible translational into clinical practice is possible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E L Harrison
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia,School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - B T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia,Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
181
|
Abstract
Trauma in childhood is a psychosocial, medical, and public policy problem with serious consequences for its victims and for society. Chronic interpersonal violence in children is common worldwide. Developmental traumatology, the systemic investigation of the psychiatric and psychobiological effects of chronic overwhelming stress on the developing child, provides a framework and principles when empirically examining the neurobiological effects of pediatric trauma. This article focuses on peer-reviewed literature on the neurobiological sequelae of childhood trauma in children and in adults with histories of childhood trauma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D De Bellis
- Healthy Childhood Brain Development and Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 104360, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Abigail Zisk
- Healthy Childhood Brain Development and Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 104360, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| |
Collapse
|
182
|
Crockford C, Deschner T, Ziegler TE, Wittig RM. Endogenous peripheral oxytocin measures can give insight into the dynamics of social relationships: a review. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:68. [PMID: 24672442 PMCID: PMC3949137 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide, oxytocin, receives increasing attention due to its role in stress regulation and promoting affiliative social behavior. Research across mammals points to a complex pattern whereby social context and individual differences moderate the central release of oxytocin as well as moderate the effects that exogenous administration of oxytocin has on social behavior. In addition, it is becoming evident that measuring endogenous peripheral oxytocin levels is an informative tool. This is particularly so when oxytocin can be measured from non-invasively collected samples, such as in urine. Although it is still debated as to whether peripheral measures of oxytocin relate to central measures of oxytocin, anatomical and functional evidence indicate a link between the two. We argue that non-invasive measures of peripheral oxytocin hold several research and potential therapeutic advantages. Principally, study subjects can be sampled repeatedly in different social contexts where social history between interaction partners can be taken into account. Several hormones can be measured simultaneously allowing examination of the influence of oxytocin interactions with other hormones on motivational states. Valence of relationships as well as changes in relationship quality over time can be measured through endocrine responses. Also, the approach of identifying natural social contexts that are associated with endogenous oxytocin release offers the potential of behavioral therapy as an addition or alternative to chemical therapy in the field of mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Crockford
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig, Germany
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
183
|
Association between childhood maltreatment and adult emotional dysregulation in a low-income, urban, African American sample: moderation by oxytocin receptor gene. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 23:439-52. [PMID: 23786688 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579411000162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The ability to effectively regulate emotions and a secure attachment style are critical for maintaining mental health across the life span. The experience of childhood maltreatment interferes with normal development of emotional regulation and dramatically increases risk for a wide range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. The central nervous system oxytocin systems are critically involved in mediating social attachment and buffering psychophysiological responses to stress. We therefore investigated the impact of childhood maltreatment and an oxytocin receptor (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (rs53576) and their interaction on emotional dysregulation and attachment style in adulthood in a sample of low-income, African American men and women recruited from primary care clinics of an urban, public hospital. Consistent with prior research, we found that the severity of childhood maltreatment was associated with increased levels of emotional dysregulation in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment was also positively associated with ratings of disorganized/unresolved adult attachment style and negatively associated with ratings of secure adult attachment style. There was no direct association between rs53576 and emotional dysregulation or ratings of adult attachment style. However, there were significant interactions between rs53576 and childhood maltreatment in predicting level of adult emotional dysregulation and attachment style. Specifically, G/G genotype carriers were at risk for increased emotional dysregulation when exposed to three or more categories of childhood abuse. In addition, G/G genotype carriers exhibited enhanced disorganized adult attachment style when exposed to severe childhood abuse compared to A/A and A/G carriers. Our findings suggest that A allele carriers of OXTR rs53576 are resilient against the effects of severe childhood adversity, by protection against emotional dysregulation and disorganized attachment.
Collapse
|
184
|
Febo M, Ferris CF. Oxytocin and vasopressin modulation of the neural correlates of motivation and emotion: results from functional MRI studies in awake rats. Brain Res 2014; 1580:8-21. [PMID: 24486356 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin modulate a range of species typical behavioral functions that include social recognition, maternal-infant attachment, and modulation of memory, offensive aggression, defensive fear reactions, and reward seeking. We have employed novel functional magnetic resonance mapping techniques in awake rats to explore the roles of these neuropeptides in the maternal and non-maternal brain. Results from the functional neuroimaging studies that are summarized here have directly and indirectly confirmed and supported previous findings. Oxytocin is released within the lactating rat brain during suckling stimulation and activates specific subcortical networks in the maternal brain. Both vasopressin and oxytocin modulate brain regions involved unconditioned fear, processing of social stimuli and the expression of agonistic behaviors. Across studies there are relatively consistent brain networks associated with internal motivational drives and emotional states that are modulated by oxytocin and vasopressin. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Center for Translational Neuroimaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
185
|
Grimm S, Pestke K, Feeser M, Aust S, Weigand A, Wang J, Wingenfeld K, Pruessner JC, La Marca R, Böker H, Bajbouj M. Early life stress modulates oxytocin effects on limbic system during acute psychosocial stress. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 9:1828-35. [PMID: 24478326 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsu020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with altered stress responsivity, structural and functional brain changes and an increased risk for the development of psychopathological conditions in later life. Due to its behavioral and physiological effects, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is a useful tool to investigate stress responsivity, even though the neurobiological underpinnings of its effects are still unknown. Here we investigate the effects of OXT on cortisol stress response and neural activity during psychosocial stress. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy subjects with and without a history of ELS, we found attenuated hormonal reactivity and significantly reduced limbic deactivation after OXT administration in subjects without a history of ELS. Subjects who experienced ELS showed both blunted stress reactivity and limbic deactivation during stress. Furthermore, in these subjects OXT had opposite effects with increased hormonal reactivity and increased limbic deactivation. Our results might implicate that reduced limbic deactivation and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsivity during psychosocial stress are markers for biological resilience after ELS. Effects of OXT in subjects with a history of maltreatment could therefore be considered detrimental and suggest careful consideration of OXT administration in such individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Grimm
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Ber
| | - Karin Pestke
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Feeser
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Aust
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Ber
| | - Anne Weigand
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Ber
| | - Jue Wang
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jens C Pruessner
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roberto La Marca
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Böker
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Clinic for Affective Disorders and General Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China, Douglas Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada, and University of Zurich, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Ber
| |
Collapse
|
186
|
Does oxytocin modulate variation in maternal caregiving in healthy new mothers? Brain Res 2014; 1580:143-50. [PMID: 24462937 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal sensitivity to infant cues and developmental needs may be pivotal for social and cognitive development. Animal and recent human studies emphasise a major role for Oxytocin (OT) in mediating sensitive caregiving but no study has examined the relationship between OT and extreme variation in human maternal sensitivity. METHODS From 105 expectant mothers, 80 underwent blind-rating of maternal sensitivity at 4-6 months postpartum through free-play interaction with their infants. At 7-9 months postpartum, 30 mothers at extremes of maternal sensitivity: 15 'sensitive mothers' (high sensitivity mothers - HSMs, mean=4.47; SD=0.74) and 15 'less sensitive mothers' (low sensitivity mothers - LSMs, mean=2.13; SD=0.52) underwent plasma OT measurements before and after 10 min infant play. RESULTS Baseline and post-interaction plasma OT was higher in LSMs than HSMs [F(1, 26)=8.42; p=0.01]. HSMs showed a trend towards significant reduction in plasma OT [t(14)=2.01; p=0.06] following play-interaction; no change was shown by LSMs [t(13)=-0.14; p=0.89]. Conclusion Higher baseline OT levels in healthy LSMs may imply greater stress responses to the demands of caring for an infant, or past deficiencies in own parenting relationship and act as a biomarker for poor parental sensitivity. OT may be acting to reduce stress and anxiety in LSMs consistent with studies of plasma OT and stress in women. By contrast, in HSMs, play interaction with their infants maybe relaxing as indicated by significant reduction in plasma OT from baseline. Ascertainment of mothers in well-defined sensitivity groups might facilitate examination of distinct coping strategies in parents and better understanding of variation in parental caregiving behaviour and its potential for modulation by OT. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
|
187
|
Driessen TM, Zhao C, Whittlinger A, Williams H, Gammie SC. Endogenous CNS expression of neurotensin and neurotensin receptors is altered during the postpartum period in outbred mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e83098. [PMID: 24416154 PMCID: PMC3885409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotensin (NT) is a neuropeptide identical in mice and humans that is produced and released in many CNS regions associated with maternal behavior. NT has been linked to aspects of maternal care and previous studies have indirectly suggested that endogenous NT signaling is altered in the postpartum period. In the present study, we directly examine whether NT and its receptors exhibit altered gene expression in maternal relative to virgin outbred mice using real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) across multiple brain regions. We also examine NT protein levels using anti-NT antibodies and immunohistochemistry in specific brain regions. In the medial preoptic area (MPOA), which is critical for maternal behaviors, mRNA of NT and NT receptor 3 (Sort1) were significantly up-regulated in postpartum mice compared to virgins. NT mRNA was also elevated in postpartum females in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis dorsal. However, in the lateral septum, NT mRNA was down-regulated in postpartum females. In the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), Ntsr1 expression was down-regulated in postpartum females. Neurotensin receptor 2 (Ntsr2) expression was not altered in any brain region tested. In terms of protein expression, NT immunohistochemistry results indicated that NT labeling was elevated in the postpartum brain in the MPOA, lateral hypothalamus, and two subregions of PVN. Together, these findings indicate that endogenous changes occur in NT and its receptors across multiple brain regions, and these likely support the emergence of some maternal behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terri M. Driessen
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Anna Whittlinger
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Horecia Williams
- Department of Animal Science, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Stephen C. Gammie
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
188
|
Cao Y, Wu R, Tai F, Zhang X, Yu P, An X, Qiao X, Hao P. Neonatal paternal deprivation impairs social recognition and alters levels of oxytocin and estrogen receptor α mRNA expression in the MeA and NAcc, and serum oxytocin in mandarin voles. Horm Behav 2014; 65:57-65. [PMID: 24291055 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Paternal care is necessary for the healthy development of social behavior in monogamous rodents and social recognition underpins social behavior in these animals. The effects of paternal care on the development of social recognition and underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms, especially the involvement of oxytocin and estrogen pathways, remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of paternal deprivation (PD: father was removed from neonatal pups and mother alone raised the offspring) on social recognition in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), a socially monogamous rodent. Paternal deprivation was found to inhibit the development of social recognition in female and male offspring according to a habituation-dishabituation paradigm. Paternal deprivation resulted in increased inactivity and reduced investigation during new encounters with other animals. Paternal deprivation reduced oxytocin receptor (OTR) and estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA expression in the medial amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Paternal deprivation reduced serum oxytocin (OT) concentration in females, but had no effect on males. Our results provide substantial evidence that paternal deprivation inhibits the development of social recognition in female and male mandarin voles and alters social behavior later in life. This is possibly the result of altered expression of central OTR and ERα and serum OT levels caused by paternal deprivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Cao
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Ruiyong Wu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China.
| | - Xia Zhang
- University of Ottawa, Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Peng Yu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Xiaolei An
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Xufeng Qiao
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Ping Hao
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| |
Collapse
|
189
|
Ellingsen DM, Wessberg J, Chelnokova O, Olausson H, Laeng B, Leknes S. In touch with your emotions: oxytocin and touch change social impressions while others' facial expressions can alter touch. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 39:11-20. [PMID: 24275000 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Revised: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Interpersonal touch is frequently used for communicating emotions, strengthen social bonds and to give others pleasure. The neuropeptide oxytocin increases social interest, improves recognition of others' emotions, and it is released during touch. Here, we investigated how oxytocin and gentle human touch affect social impressions of others, and vice versa, how others' facial expressions and oxytocin affect touch experience. In a placebo-controlled crossover study using intranasal oxytocin, 40 healthy volunteers viewed faces with different facial expressions along with concomitant gentle human touch or control machine touch, while pupil diameter was monitored. After each stimulus pair, participants rated the perceived friendliness and attractiveness of the faces, perceived facial expression, or pleasantness and intensity of the touch. After intranasal oxytocin treatment, gentle human touch had a sharpening effect on social evaluations of others relative to machine touch, such that frowning faces were rated as less friendly and attractive, whereas smiling faces were rated as more friendly and attractive. Conversely, smiling faces increased, whereas frowning faces reduced, pleasantness of concomitant touch - the latter effect being stronger for human touch. Oxytocin did not alter touch pleasantness. Pupillary responses, a measure of attentional allocation, were larger to human touch than to equally intense machine touch, especially when paired with a smiling face. Overall, our results point to mechanisms important for human affiliation and social bond formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Mikael Ellingsen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Johan Wessberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Olga Chelnokova
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Håkan Olausson
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
190
|
Hostinar CE, Sullivan RM, Gunnar MR. Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the social buffering of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: a review of animal models and human studies across development. Psychol Bull 2014; 140:256-282. [PMID: 23607429 PMCID: PMC3844011 DOI: 10.1037/a0032671 10.1037/a0032671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Discovering the stress-buffering effects of social relationships has been one of the major findings in psychobiology in the last century. However, an understanding of the underlying neurobiological and psychological mechanisms of this buffering is only beginning to emerge. An important avenue of this research concerns the neurocircuitry that can regulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. The present review is a translational effort aimed at integrating animal models and human studies of the social regulation of the HPA axis from infancy to adulthood, specifically focusing on the process that has been named social buffering. This process has been noted across species and consists of a dampened HPA axis stress response to threat or challenge that occurs with the presence or assistance of a conspecific. We describe aspects of the relevant underlying neurobiology when enough information exists and expose major gaps in our understanding across all domains of the literatures we aimed to integrate. We provide a working conceptual model focused on the role of oxytocinergic systems and prefrontal neural networks as 2 of the putative biological mediators of this process, and propose that the role of early experiences is critical in shaping later social buffering effects. This synthesis points to both general future directions and specific experiments that need to be conducted to build a more comprehensive model of the HPA social buffering effect across the life span that incorporates multiple levels of analysis: neuroendocrine, behavioral, and social.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center
| | | |
Collapse
|
191
|
Harony-Nicolas H, Mamrut S, Brodsky L, Shahar-Gold H, Barki-Harrington L, Wagner S. Brain region-specific methylation in the promoter of the murine oxytocin receptor gene is involved in its expression regulation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 39:121-131. [PMID: 24275011 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin is a nine amino acid neuropeptide that is known to play a critical role in fetal expulsion and breast-feeding, and has been recently implicated in mammalian social behavior. The actions of both central and peripheral oxytocin are mediated through the oxytocin receptor (Oxtr), which is encoded by a single gene. In contrast to the highly conserved expression of oxytocin in specific hypothalamic nuclei, the expression of its receptor in the brain is highly diverse among different mammalian species or even within individuals of the same species. The diversity in the pattern of brain Oxtr expression among mammals is thought to contribute to the broad range of social systems and organizations. Yet, the mechanisms underlying this diversity are poorly understood. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene transcription, and has been linked to reduced expression levels of the Oxtr in individuals with autism. Here we hypothesize that DNA methylation is involved in the expression regulation of Oxtr in the mouse brain. By combining bisulfite DNA conversion and Next-Generation Sequencing we found that specific CpG sites are differentially methylated between distinct brain regions expressing different levels of Oxtr mRNA. Some of these CpG sites are located within putative binding sites of transcription factors known to regulate Oxtr expression, including estrogen receptor α (ERα) and SP1. Specifically, methylation of the SP1 site was found to positively correlate with Oxtr expression. Furthermore, we revealed that the methylation levels of these sites in the various brain regions predict the relationship between ERα and Oxtr mRNA levels. Collectively, our results suggest that brain region-specific expression of the mouse Oxtr gene is epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation of its promoter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Shimrat Mamrut
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Leonid Brodsky
- Tauber Bioinformatics Research Center and Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Hadar Shahar-Gold
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Liza Barki-Harrington
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
192
|
Starr-Phillips EJ, Beery AK. Natural variation in maternal care shapes adult social behavior in rats. Dev Psychobiol 2013; 56:1017-26. [PMID: 24271510 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Features of the early postnatal environment profoundly shape later physical and behavioral phenotypes. The amount of licking/grooming that rat dams direct towards their offspring has durable consequences, including behavioral and physiological dimensions of stress reactivity, cognition, and reproductive behavior. We examined how natural variation in maternal care alters social behavior in adult offspring and how this relates to anxiety behavior and oxytocin receptor density. Male and female offspring of mothers who received high levels of licking spent significantly more time in social contact with unfamiliar individuals than did offspring whose dams provided less grooming. Reduced anxiety behavior was associated with greater social interaction. No differences in oxytocin receptor binding assessed by (125) I-OVTA autoradiography were detected between groups. The present investigation characterizes a novel impact of maternal care on adult social interaction behavior, replicates anxiety behavior differences, and illustrates connections between social behavior and anxiety in adulthood across maternal treatment groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Starr-Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063
| | | |
Collapse
|
193
|
Kim S, Soeken TA, Cromer SJ, Martinez SR, Hardy LR, Strathearn L. Oxytocin and postpartum depression: delivering on what's known and what's not. Brain Res 2013; 1580:219-32. [PMID: 24239932 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression has been a topic of growing interest. This subject carries important implications, given that postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and her infant, with lifelong consequences for infant socioemotional and cognitive development. In recent years, oxytocin has received attention for its potential role in many neuropsychiatric conditions beyond its well-described functions in childbirth and lactation. In the present review, we present available data on the clinical characteristics and neuroendocrine foundations of postpartum depression. We outline current treatment modalities and their limitations, and proceed to evaluate the potential role of oxytocin in the treatment of postpartum depression. The aim of the present review is twofold: (a) to bring together evidence from animal and human research concerning the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression, and (b) to highlight areas that deserve further research in order to bring a fuller understanding of oxytocin's therapeutic potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Timothy A Soeken
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sara J Cromer
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sheila R Martinez
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leah R Hardy
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, 8080 N. Stadium Drive, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
194
|
Kim S, Fonagy P, Koos O, Dorsett K, Strathearn L. Maternal oxytocin response predicts mother-to-infant gaze. Brain Res 2013; 1580:133-42. [PMID: 24184574 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin is importantly implicated in the emergence and maintenance of maternal behavior that forms the basis of the mother-infant bond. However, no research has yet examined the specific association between maternal oxytocin and maternal gaze, a key modality through which the mother makes social contact and engages with her infant. Furthermore, prior oxytocin studies have assessed maternal engagement primarily during episodes free of infant distress, while maternal engagement during infant distress is considered to be uniquely relevant to the formation of secure mother-infant attachment. Two patterns of maternal gaze, maternal gaze toward and gaze shifts away from the infant, were micro-coded while 50 mothers interacted with their 7-month-old infants during a modified still-face procedure. Maternal oxytocin response was defined as a change from baseline in the mother's plasma oxytocin level following interaction with her infant. The mother's oxytocin response was positively associated with the duration of time her gaze was directed toward her infant, while negatively associated with the frequency with which her gaze shifted away from her infant. Importantly, mothers who showed low/average oxytocin response demonstrated a significant decrease in their infant gaze during periods of infant distress, while such change was not observed in mothers with high oxytocin response. The findings underscore the involvement of oxytocin in regulating the mother's responsive engagement with her infant, particularly in times when the infant's need for access to the mother is greatest. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Orsolya Koos
- Department of Developmental Research, Institute for Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1394 Budapest, P.O. Box 398, Hungary
| | - Kimberly Dorsett
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Suite 4004, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, 8080 N. Stadium Drive, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
195
|
Bosch OJ. Maternal aggression in rodents: brain oxytocin and vasopressin mediate pup defence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130085. [PMID: 24167315 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The most significant social behaviour of the lactating mother is maternal behaviour, which comprises maternal care and maternal aggression (MA). The latter is a protective behaviour of the mother serving to defend the offspring against a potentially dangerous intruder. The extent to which the mother shows aggressive behaviour depends on extrinsic and intrinsic factors, as we have learned from studies in laboratory rodents. Among the extrinsic factors are the pups' presence and age, as well as the intruders' sex and age. With respect to intrinsic factors, the mothers' innate anxiety and the prosocial brain neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) play important roles. While OXT is well known as a maternal neuropeptide, AVP has only recently been described in this context. The increased activities of these neuropeptides in lactation are the result of remarkable brain adaptations peripartum and are a prerequisite for the mother to become maternal. Consequently, OXT and AVP are significantly involved in mediating the fine-tuned regulation of MA depending on the brain regions. Importantly, both neuropeptides are also modulators of anxiety, which determines the extent of MA. This review provides a detailed overview of the role of OXT and AVP in MA and the link to anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, , Regensburg 93040, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
196
|
Cox KH, So NLT, Rissman EF. Foster dams rear fighters: strain-specific effects of within-strain fostering on aggressive behavior in male mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75037. [PMID: 24040381 PMCID: PMC3769275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that genes and environment interact to produce behavioral phenotypes. One environmental factor with long-term effects on gene transcription and behavior is maternal care. A classic paradigm for examining maternal care and genetic interactions is to foster pups of one genetic strain to dams of a different strain ("between-strain fostering"). In addition, fostering to a dam of the same strain ("within-strain fostering") is used to reduce indirect effects, via behavioral changes in the dams, of gestation treatments on offspring. Using within-and between-strain fostering we examined the contributions of genetics/prenatal environment, maternal care, and the effects of fostering per se, on adult aggressive behavior in two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (DBA). We hypothesized that males reared by dams of the more aggressive DBA strain would attack intruders faster than those reared by B6 dams. Surprisingly, we found that both methods of fostering enhanced aggressive behavior, but only in B6 mice. Since all the B6 offspring are genetically identical, we asked if maternal behavior of B6 dams was affected by the relatedness of their pups. In fact, B6 dams caring for foster B6 pups displayed significantly reduced maternal behaviors. Finally, we measured vasopressin and corticotrophin releasing hormone mRNA in the amygdalae of adult B6 males reared by foster or biological dams. Both genes correlated with aggressive behavior in within-strain fostered B6 mice, but not in mice reared by their biological dams. In sum, we have demonstrated in inbred laboratory mice, that dams behave differently when rearing their own newborn pups versus pups from another dam of the same strain. These differences in maternal care affect aggression in the male offspring and transcription of Avp and Crh in the brain. It is likely that rearing by foster dams has additional effects and implications for other species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly H. Cox
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Nina L. T. So
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Emilie F. Rissman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
197
|
Sexual experience increases oxytocin receptor gene expression and protein in the medial preoptic area of the male rat. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1688-97. [PMID: 23474276 PMCID: PMC3715561 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Revised: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) promotes social and reproductive behaviors in mammals, and OT deficits may be linked to disordered social behaviors like autism and severe anxiety. Male rat sexual behavior is an excellent model for OT regulation of behavior, as its pattern and neural substrates are well characterized. We previously reported that OT microinjected into the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a major integrative site for male sexual behavior, facilitates copulation in sexually experienced male rats, whereas intra-MPOA injection of an OT antagonist (OTA) inhibits copulation. In the present studies, copulation on the day of sacrifice stimulated OTR mRNA expression in the MPOA, irrespective of previous sexual experience, with the highest levels observed in first-time copulators. In addition, sexually experienced males had higher levels of OTR protein in the MPOA than sexually naïve males and first-time copulators. Finally, intra-MPOA injection of OT facilitated mating in sexually naive males. Others have reported a positive correlation between OT mRNA levels and male sexual behavior. Our studies show that OT in the MPOA facilitates mating in both sexually naive and experienced males, some of the behavioral effects of OT are mediated by the OTR, and sexual experience is associated with increased OTR expression in the MPOA. Taken together, these data suggest a reciprocal interaction between central OT and behavior, in which OT facilitates copulation and copulation stimulates the OT/OTR system in the brain.
Collapse
|
198
|
Sakhai SA, Preslik J, Francis DD. Influence of housing variables on the development of stress-sensitive behaviors in the rat. Physiol Behav 2013; 120:156-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
199
|
Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 119:49-60. [PMID: 23850525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin has drawn the attention of scientists for more than a century. The understanding of the function of oxytocin has expanded dramatically over the years from a simple peptide adept at inducing uterine contractions and milk ejection to a complex neuromodulator with a capacity to shape human social behavior. Decades of research have outlined oxytocin's ability to enhance intricate social activities ranging from pair bonding, sexual activity, affiliative preferences, and parental behaviors. The precise neural mechanisms underlying oxytocin's influence on such behaviors have just begun to be understood. Research suggests that oxytocin interacts closely with the neural pathways responsible for processing motivationally relevant stimuli. In particular, oxytocin appears to impact dopaminergic activity within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, which is crucial not only for reward and motivated behavior but also for the expression of affiliative behaviors. Though most of the work performed in this area has been done using animal models, several neuroimaging studies suggest similar relationships may be observed in humans. In order to introduce this topic further, this paper will review the recent evidence that oxytocin may exert some of its social-behavioral effects through its impact on motivational networks.
Collapse
|
200
|
Bowes L, Jaffee SR. Biology, genes, and resilience: toward a multidisciplinary approach. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2013; 14:195-208. [PMID: 23649831 DOI: 10.1177/1524838013487807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Variability in response to stressful environmental exposures is at the core of resilience research. In order to understand why some individuals show resilient functioning in the face of adversity, one needs to understand the mechanisms through which risky environments lead to pathology in some and not others, and the ways in which risk and protective factors affect these processes. Understanding the interplay between genetic and biological processes and different environments is necessary in order to elucidate the causal pathways through which individuals show resilience or vulnerability in the face of adversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Bowes
- Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|