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Alsina-Llanes M, Olazábal DE. NMDA- and 6-OHDA-induced Lesions in the Nucleus Accumbens Differently Affect Maternal and Infanticidal Behavior in Pup-naïve Female and Male Mice. Neuroscience 2024; 539:35-50. [PMID: 38176609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Virgin and pups-naïve female and male adult mice display two opposite responses when they are exposed to pups for the first time. While females generally take care of the pups, males attack them. Since the nucleus accumbens (NA), and its dopaminergic modulation, is critical in integrating information and processing reward and aversion, we investigated if NMDA- and 6-OHDA-induced lesions, damaging mostly NA output and dopaminergic inputs respectively, affected female maternal behavior (MB) or male infanticidal behavior (IB) in mice. Our results revealed minor or no effects of both smaller and larger NMDA-induced lesions in MB and IB. On the other hand, while 6-OHDA-induced lesions in females reduced the incidence of full MB (12.5% 6-OHDA vs. 85.7% SHAM) increasing the latency to retrieve the pups, those lesions did not affect IB in males. There were no differences in locomotor and exploratory activity between the lesioned- and SHAM- females. Despite those lesions did not induce any major effect on IB, NMDA-lesioned males spent less time in the central area of an open field, while dopaminergic-lesioned males showed reduced number of rearing and peripheral crosses. The current study shows that an intact NA is not necessary for the expression of MB and IB. However, dopaminergic inputs to NA play different role in MB and IB. While damaging dopaminergic terminals into the NA did not affect IB, it clearly delayed the more flexible and rewarding expression of parental behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alsina-Llanes
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR. Av. Gral. Flores 2125, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay.
| | - D E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR. Av. Gral. Flores 2125, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay.
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2
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Mei L, Yan R, Yin L, Sullivan RM, Lin D. Antagonistic circuits mediating infanticide and maternal care in female mice. Nature 2023; 618:1006-1016. [PMID: 37286598 PMCID: PMC10648307 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In many species, including mice, female animals show markedly different pup-directed behaviours based on their reproductive state1,2. Naive wild female mice often kill pups, while lactating female mice are dedicated to pup caring3,4. The neural mechanisms that mediate infanticide and its switch to maternal behaviours during motherhood remain unclear. Here, on the basis of the hypothesis that maternal and infanticidal behaviours are supported by distinct and competing neural circuits5,6, we use the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a key site for maternal behaviours7-11, as a starting point and identify three MPOA-connected brain regions that drive differential negative pup-directed behaviours. Functional manipulation and in vivo recording reveal that oestrogen receptor α (ESR1)-expressing cells in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTprESR1) are necessary, sufficient and naturally activated during infanticide in female mice. MPOAESR1 and BNSTprESR1 neurons form reciprocal inhibition to control the balance between positive and negative infant-directed behaviours. During motherhood, MPOAESR1 and BNSTprESR1 cells change their excitability in opposite directions, supporting a marked switch of female behaviours towards the young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Mei
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luping Yin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Nguyen CTY, Zhao M, Saltzman W. Effects of sex and age on parental motivation in adult virgin California mice. Behav Processes 2020; 178:104185. [PMID: 32603677 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Female mammals often demonstrate a rapid initiation of maternal responsiveness immediately after giving birth, as a result of neuroendocrine changes that occur during pregnancy and parturition. However, fathers and virgins of some species may display infant care similar to that performed by mothers but without experiencing these physiological events. In biparental species, in which both mothers and fathers care for their offspring, both sex and age may affect parental motivation, even in adult virgins. We examined the effects of sex and age on parental motivation in the California mouse, a monogamous, biparental rodent. We compared parental motivation of male and female virgins in both mid- and old adulthood using two new tests - a T-maze test and a rain test - as well as in standard parental-behavior tests. Adult virgin males were more parentally motivated than adult virgin females in both the T-maze test and the parental-behavior test, but parental motivation did not differ markedly between middle-aged and older adults of either sex. These findings suggest that sex differences in parental motivation in adult virgins are similar to those observed in other biparental rodents, and indicate that the T-maze test may be useful for evaluating parental motivation in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine T Y Nguyen
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States
| | - Meng Zhao
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States.
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4
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Alsina-Llanes M, Olazábal DE. Prefrontal cortex is associated with the rapid onset of parental behavior in inexperienced adult mice (C57BL/6). Behav Brain Res 2020; 385:112556. [PMID: 32087184 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is significant variability in the immediate behavioral response displayed by inexperienced adult mice when exposed to pups for the first time. The aim of this study was to determine which brain regions were engaged (higher c-Fos-immunoreactivity, c-Fos-ir) when virgin females, that were exposed to pups for 15 or 60 min, displayed full parental behavior (FPB), partial parental behavior (PPB), or non-parental behavior (NPB), or virgin males displayed PPB or infanticidal behavior (IB). The number of c-Fos-ir neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PL) was higher in parental females than in the NPB group (after a 15-min exposure), and the group not exposed to pups (NE). C-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens (NA) was increased in most groups of females exposed to pups compared to NE. Higher c-Fos-ir was also found in the shell subregion of the NA in infanticidal males, compared to males NE. The cortical (CoA) and medial (MA) amygdala also showed higher c-Fos-ir in parental females compared to NE animals. However, PPB and IB male groups also exhibited higher c-Fos-ir in the CoA and MA compared to the NE group. The expression of c-Fos in the different subregions of medial preoptic area and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus was not specifically associated with either parental or infanticidal behavior. No brain activation in males was specifically associated with infanticidal behavior. Our results suggest that 15 min of exposure to pups is enough to detect brain regions associated with parental behavior (PL) or pups processing (NA, MA, CoA) in mice. The PL might participate in the immediate onset of parental behavior in virgin females, coordinating and planning its rapid execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Alsina-Llanes
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR, Uruguay.
| | - D E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR, Uruguay.
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5
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Gryksa K, Mittmann L, Bauer A, Peterlik D, Flor PJ, Uschold-Schmidt N, Bosch OJ. Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 7 controls maternal care, maternal motivation and maternal aggression in mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12627. [PMID: 31793148 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The group III metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 7 (mGlu7) is an important regulator of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission and known to mediate emotionality and male social behavior. However, a possible regulatory role in maternal behavior remains unknown to date. Adequate expression of maternal behavior is essential for successful rearing and healthy development of the young. By understanding genetic and neural mechanisms underlying this important prosocial behavior, we gain valuable insights into possible dysregulations. Using genetic ablation as well as pharmacological modulation, we studied various parameters of maternal behavior in two different mouse strains under the influence of mGlu7. We can clearly show a regulatory role of mGlu7 in maternal behavior. Naïve virgin female C57BL/6 mGlu7 knockout mice showed more often nursing postures and less spontaneous maternal aggression compared to their heterozygous and wildtype littermates. In lactating C57BL/6 wildtype mice, acute central activation of mGlu7 by the selective agonist AMN082 reduced arched back nursing and accelerated pup retrieval without affecting maternal aggression. In addition, in lactating CD1 wildtype mice the selective mGlu7 antagonist XAP044 increased both pup retrieval and maternal aggression. With respect to receptor expression levels, mGlu7 mRNA expression was higher in lactating vs virgin C57BL/6 mice in the prefrontal cortex, but not hypothalamus or hippocampus. In conclusion, these findings highlight a significant role of the mGlu7 receptor subtype in mediating maternal behavior in mice. Region-dependent studies are warranted to further extend our knowledge on the specific function of the brain glutamate system in maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gryksa
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Laura Mittmann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Bauer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Peterlik
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Peter J Flor
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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6
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Stolzenberg DS, Mayer HS. Experience-dependent mechanisms in the regulation of parental care. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 54:100745. [PMID: 31009675 PMCID: PMC7347228 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Maternal behavior is a defining characteristic of mammals, which is regulated by a core, conserved neural circuit. However, mothering behavior is not always a default response to infant conspecifics. For example, initial fearful, fragmented or aggressive responses toward infants in laboratory rats and mice can give way to highly motivated and organized caregiving behaviors following appropriate hormone exposure or repeated experience with infants. Therefore hormonal and/or experiential factors must be involved in determining the extent to which infants access central approach and avoidance neural systems. In this review we describe evidence supporting the idea that infant conspecifics are capable of activating distinct neural pathways to elicit avoidant, aggressive and parental responses from adult rodents. Additionally, we discuss the hypothesis that alterations in transcriptional regulation within the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus may be a key mechanism of neural plasticity involved in programming the differential sensitivity of these neural pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S Stolzenberg
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| | - Heather S Mayer
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, United States
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7
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Catanese MC, Vandenberg LN. Low doses of 17α-ethinyl estradiol alter the maternal brain and induce stereotypies in CD-1 mice exposed during pregnancy and lactation. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 73:20-29. [PMID: 28736173 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal care is critical for the survival, development and long-term success of offspring. Despite our current understanding of the role of endogenous estrogen in both maternal behavior and the maternal brain, the potential effects of exogenous estrogens on these endpoints remain poorly understood. Here, pregnant CD-1 mice were exposed to low doses of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), commonly used as a positive control in studies of other xenoestrogens, from day 9 of pregnancy until weaning. Using traditional maternal behavior assays, we document no significant changes in maternal behavior throughout the lactational period. However, EE2 induced increases in repetitive tail retrieval, which may indicate a stereotypy or obsessive compulsive (OCD)-like behavior. We also observed a significant reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a region important for maternal motivation. These results suggest that pregnant adult females are not immune to the effects of this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Catanese
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
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8
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Development-dependent behavioral change toward pups and synaptic transmission in the rhomboid nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Behav Brain Res 2016; 325:131-137. [PMID: 27793732 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Sexually naïve male C57BL/6 mice aggressively bite unfamiliar pups. This behavior, called infanticide, is considered an adaptive reproductive strategy of males of polygamous species. We recently found that the rhomboid nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTrh) is activated during infanticide and that the bilateral excitotoxic lesions of BSTrh suppress infanticidal behavior. Here we show that 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice rarely engaged in infanticide and instead, provided parental care toward unfamiliar pups, consistent with observations in rats and other rodent species. This inhibition of infanticide at the periweaning period is functional because the next litter will be born at approximately the time of weaning of the previous litter through maternal postpartum ovulation. However, the mechanism of this age-dependent behavioral change is unknown. Therefore, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recordings of BSTrh and compared evoked neurotransmission in response to the stimulation of the stria terminalis of adult and 3-week-old male mice. Although we were unable to detect a significant difference in the amplitudes of inhibitory neurotransmission, the amplitudes and the paired-pulse ratio of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents differed between adult and 3-week-old mice. These data suggest that maturation of the synaptic terminal in BSTrh that occurred later than 3 weeks after birth may mediate by the adaptive change from parental to infanticidal behavior in male mice.
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9
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Olazábal DE, Alsina-Llanes M. Are age and sex differences in brain oxytocin receptors related to maternal and infanticidal behavior in naïve mice? Horm Behav 2016; 77:132-40. [PMID: 25910577 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". There is significant variability in the behavioral responses displayed by naïve young and adult mice when first exposed to pups. This variability has been associated with differences in the expression of oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in the brain in several species. Experiment I investigated the behavioral responses of juvenile, adolescent, and adult CB57BL/6 males and females when first exposed to pups. We found an age increase in maternal females (11% of juveniles, 20% of adolescents, and 50% of young adults), and infanticidal males (0% of juveniles, 30% of adolescents, 44.5% of young adults, and 100% of older adults). Experiment II investigated OXTR density in the brain of juvenile and adult mice. Our results revealed an age decline in the density of OXTR in several brain regions, including the lateral septum, cingulated and posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus in both males and females. Adult females had higher OXTR density in the ventromedial nucleus/postero-ventral hypothalamus (VMH) and the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), but lower density in the ventral region of the lateral septum (LSv) than juveniles. Males had lower OXTR density in the anterior olfactory area (AOA) compared to juveniles. No age or sex differences were found in the medial preoptic area, and amygdaloid nuclei, among other brain regions. This study suggests that 1) maturation of parental and infanticidal behavioral responses is not reached until adulthood; 2) the pattern of development of OXTR in the mouse brain is unique, region specific, and differs from that observed in other rodents; 3) either up or down regulation of OXTR in a few brain regions (VMH/AOB/LSv/AOA) might contribute to age or sex differences in parental or infanticidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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10
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Alsina-Llanes M, De Brun V, Olazábal DE. Development and expression of maternal behavior in naïve female C57BL/6 mice. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:189-200. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Alsina-Llanes
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
| | - Victoria De Brun
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
| | - Daniel E. Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
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11
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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.
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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
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12
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Harding KM, Lonstein JS. Placentophagia in weanling female laboratory rats. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1290-9. [PMID: 24604548 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Placentophagia is common in parturient mammals and offers physiological and behavioral advantages for mothers. In natural environments, weanlings are often present during the birth of younger siblings, but it is unknown if weanling rats are placentophagic or prefer placenta over other substances. To examine this, primiparous rats were remated during the postpartum estrus and their weanling daughters remained in the natal nest during their mother's next parturition. Continuous observation revealed that 58% of weanlings were placentophagic. To determine if this placentophagia occurs away from parturient mothers, weanling females still living in their natal nest were offered placenta, liver, or cake frosting in a novel chamber. They ingested more placenta and liver than frosting. Thus, many weanling female laboratory rats are placentophagic during the birth of younger siblings but do not selectively prefer placenta when tested outside their natal nest. Consequences of placentophagia by weanling female rats are unknown, but it may promote their alloparenting or later postpartum mothering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Harding
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 108 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824
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13
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Stolzenberg DS, Stevens JS, Rissman EF. Experience-facilitated improvements in pup retrieval; evidence for an epigenetic effect. Horm Behav 2012; 62:128-35. [PMID: 22687346 PMCID: PMC3474355 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The quality and quantity of maternal care received during infancy are highly predictive of successful infant development. It has been well established, primarily in rats, that the combination of hormonal and infant stimuli at birth modifies neural circuits that regulate maternal responsiveness. During subsequent interactions, infant stimuli are more likely to elicit rapid maternal responsiveness. Some species, such as humans, can display maternal care in the absence of the endocrine events of pregnancy and birth. Similarly, virgin C57BL/6J female mice, display maternal care toward infants, and experience with infants elicits long-lasting increases in maternal care. We hypothesized that these experience-induced changes in behavior may be mediated by chromatin modifications, which in turn change expression of genes that promote maternal care. One site of action is the medial preoptic area (MPOA). To test our hypothesis we treated virgin female mice with sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. This treatment potentiated maternal responsiveness as well as the expression of several genes: estrogen receptor β (Esr2), oxytocin (Oxt), and cyclicAMP response element binding protein (CREB) binding protein (Crebbp; a histone acetyltransferase) in the MPOA. These data suggest that experience induces high levels of maternal care via epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S Stolzenberg
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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14
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Abstract
Nulliparous female mice that have not experienced mating, pregnancy or parturition show near immediate spontaneous maternal behaviour when presented with foster pups. The fact that virgin mice display spontaneous maternal behaviour indicates that the hormonal events of pregnancy and parturition are not necessary to produce a rapid onset of maternal behaviour in mice. However, it is not known how similar maternal behaviour is between virgin and lactating mice. In the present study, we show that naturally postpartum females are faster to retrieve pups and spend more time crouching over pups than spontaneously maternal virgin females, and that these differences diminish with increased maternal experience. Moreover, 4 days of experience with pups induced pup retrieval on a novel T-maze. Furthermore, the effects of experience on subsequent maternal responsiveness are not dependent on gonadal hormones because ovariectomised females with 4 days of pup experience show pup retrieval on a novel T-maze similar to that of postpartum mice. Four days of maternal experience also induced T-maze pup retrieval in ovariectomised aromatase knockout female mice that was not significantly different from the maternal responsiveness of ovariectomised wild-type littermates. These data suggest that maternal experience can induce maternal behaviour in females that have never been exposed to oestradiol at any time in development or adulthood. Finally, ovariectomised pup-experienced females continue to retrieve pups on a novel T-maze 1 month after the initial experience, suggesting that, even in the absence of oestradiol, maternal experience produces long-lasting modifications in maternal responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Stolzenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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15
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Okabe S, Nagasawa M, Kihara T, Kato M, Harada T, Koshida N, Mogi K, Kikusui T. The effects of social experience and gonadal hormones on retrieving behavior of mice and their responses to pup ultrasonic vocalizations. Zoolog Sci 2010; 27:790-5. [PMID: 20887176 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.27.790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted from maternally separated pups and are thought to be a trigger for eliciting maternal behavior in mice. We investigated the effects of social experience and gonadectomy on the retrieving behavior of mice and their responses to pup USVs produced by a nanocrystalline silicon thermo-acoustic emitter. In each experiment, virgin, gonadectomized, sham-operated, sexually experienced, and parenting mice of both sexes were used, and the effects of these manipulations were compared in each sex. The retrieving behavior of both sexes increased with social experience or gonadectomy. In particular, mothers showed the highest retrieving activity among female groups, while castrated male mice showed the highest retrieving activity among male groups. All groups of female mice responded to pup USVs, with the responsiveness of sexually experienced female mice being the most enhanced. Unlike the females, virgin male mice did not respond to pup USVs, although socially experienced or castrated males showed this response; fathers exhibited the highest responsiveness. These results suggest that not only parenting experience, but also mating experience, may enhance retrieving activity and response to pup USVs in mice of both sexes. Nevertheless, the degree to which parenting experience contributed to the enhancement of both activities differed between the sexes. Furthermore, gonadectomy enhanced both activities in both sexes, although its effect was more prominent in males. Overall, our findings suggest that alteration in responsiveness of mice to pup USVs might be one of the changes in parental behavior caused by social experiences or gonadal hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Okabe
- Labotatory of Companion Animal Research, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara 252-5201, Japan
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16
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Keller M, Pawluski JL, Brock O, Douhard Q, Bakker J. The alpha-fetoprotein knock-out mouse model suggests that parental behavior is sexually differentiated under the influence of prenatal estradiol. Horm Behav 2010; 57:434-40. [PMID: 20109458 PMCID: PMC4298041 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Revised: 01/20/2010] [Accepted: 01/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In rodent species, sexual differentiation of the brain for many reproductive processes depends largely on estradiol. This was recently confirmed again by using the alpha-fetoprotein knockout (AFP-KO) mouse model, which lacks the protective actions of alpha-fetoprotein against maternal estradiol and as a result represents a good model to determine the contribution of prenatal estradiol to the sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. Female AFP-KO mice were defeminized and masculinized with regard to their neuroendocrine responses as well as sexual behavior. Since parental behavior is also strongly sexually differentiated in mice, we used the AFP-KO mouse model here to ask whether parental responses are differentiated prenatally under the influence of estradiol. It was found that AFP-KO females showed longer latencies to retrieve pups to the nest and also exhibited lower levels of crouching over the pups in the nest in comparison to WT females. In fact, they resembled males (WT and AFP-KO). Other measures of maternal behavior, for example the incidence of infanticide, tended to be higher in AFP-KO females than in WT females but this increase failed to reach statistical significance. The deficits observed in parental behavior of AFP-KO females could not be explained by any changes in olfactory function, novelty recognition or anxiety. Thus our results suggest that prenatal estradiol defeminizes the parental brain in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Keller
- INRA, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
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Lee HJ, Macbeth AH, Pagani JH, Young WS. Oxytocin: the great facilitator of life. Prog Neurobiol 2009; 88:127-51. [PMID: 19482229 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2008] [Revised: 02/24/2009] [Accepted: 04/02/2009] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (Oxt) is a nonapeptide hormone best known for its role in lactation and parturition. Since 1906 when its uterine-contracting properties were described until 50 years later when its sequence was elucidated, research has focused on its peripheral roles in reproduction. Only over the past several decades have researchers focused on what functions Oxt might have in the brain, the subject of this review. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei are the neurons of origin for the Oxt released from the posterior pituitary. Smaller cells in various parts of the brain, as well as release from magnocellular dendrites, provide the Oxt responsible for modulating various behaviors at its only identified receptor. Although Oxt is implicated in a variety of "non-social" behaviors, such as learning, anxiety, feeding and pain perception, it is Oxt's roles in various social behaviors that have come to the fore recently. Oxt is important for social memory and attachment, sexual and maternal behavior, and aggression. Recent work implicates Oxt in human bonding and trust as well. Human disorders characterized by aberrant social interactions, such as autism and schizophrenia, may also involve Oxt expression. Many, if not most, of Oxt's functions, from social interactions (affiliation, aggression) and sexual behavior to eventual parturition, lactation and maternal behavior, may be viewed as specifically facilitating species propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heon-Jin Lee
- Section on Neural Gene Expression, NIMH, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Olazábal DE, Young LJ. Species and individual differences in juvenile female alloparental care are associated with oxytocin receptor density in the striatum and the lateral septum. Horm Behav 2006; 49:681-7. [PMID: 16442534 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2005] [Revised: 12/08/2005] [Accepted: 12/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has been implicated in the regulation of affiliative behavior and maternal responsiveness in several mammalian species. Rodent species vary considerably in the expression of juvenile alloparental behavior. For example, alloparental behavior is spontaneous in juvenile female prairie voles (approximately 20 days of age), takes 1-3 days of pup exposure to develop in juvenile rats, and is nearly absent in juvenile mice and meadow voles. Here, we tested the hypothesis that species differences in pup responsiveness in juvenile rodents are associated with oxytocin receptor (OTR) density in specific brain regions. We found that OTR density in the nucleus accumbens (NA) is highest in juvenile prairie voles, intermediate in juvenile rats, and lowest in juvenile mice and meadow voles. In the caudate putamen (CP), OTR binding was highest in prairie voles, intermediate in rats and meadow voles, and lowest in mice. In contrast, the lateral septum (LS) shows an opposite pattern, with OTR binding being high in mice and meadow voles and low in prairie voles and rats. Thus, alloparental responsiveness in juvenile rodents is positively correlated with OTR density in the NA and CP and negatively correlated with OTR density in the LS. We then investigated whether a similar receptor-behavior relationship exists among juvenile female prairie voles by correlating individual variation in alloparental behavior with variation in OTR density. The time spent adopting crouching postures, the most distinctive component of alloparental behavior in juveniles, was positively correlated with OTR density in the NA (r = 0.47) and CP (r = 0.45) and negatively correlated with OTR density in the lateral septum (r = -0.53). Thus, variation in OTR density in the NA, CP, and LS may underlie both species and individual differences in alloparental care in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Olazábal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Olazábal DE, Young LJ. Variability in "spontaneous" maternal behavior is associated with anxiety-like behavior and affiliation in naïve juvenile and adult female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Dev Psychobiol 2006; 47:166-78. [PMID: 16136562 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are spontaneously maternal, while virgin adult females show significant variability in their response to first pup exposure, ranging from infanticidal to full maternal behavior. In the present study, we investigated whether differences in anxiety-like behavior and affiliation are associated with juvenile-adult and adult individual differences in the response to pups. Forty juvenile (19-20 days) and 42 adult (60-90 days) female prairie voles were exposed to pups for the first time and tested for maternal behavior, anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze, open field), and affiliation toward age-matched, same sex conspecifics. Juveniles displayed less anxiety-like behavior, were more affiliative to unfamiliar conspecifics, and interacted with pups more positively than adults. Adults that displayed maternal behavior spent less time immobile, made more crosses through the center of the open field arena, and were more affiliative than adults that attacked the pups. This suggests that lower locomotion or exploration in a novel environment and poor affiliative behavior are negatively associated with maternal responsiveness in female prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Olazábal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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Lonstein JS, De Vries GJ. Social influences on parental and nonparental responses toward pups in virgin female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). J Comp Psychol 2001; 115:53-61. [PMID: 11334219 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.115.1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Pair-bonded prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are biparental after the birth of pups. However, whereas most adult virgin males are parental, most virgin females are not. In 6 experiments, influences on the parental behavior of virgin female prairie voles were examined. It was found that (a) young virgin females were more maternal than older females, (b) the postweaning sex ratio of cage-mates did not affect females' responses to pups, (c) females raised to adulthood with their parents and younger siblings present were highly parental, (d) 48-hr exposure to pups beginning at weaning increased some aspects of later maternal responding, (e) rearing to adulthood with the parents even in the absence of younger siblings also increased females' maternal responding, and (f) the increase was seen only if both parents were present. Continued parental presence promotes alloparental behavior, possibly important if daughters do not disperse from the natal nest.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Lonstein
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003, USA.
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Abstract
The reproductive strategy of many mammalian species that give birth to altricial young involves intense and prolonged care of their offspring. In most cases, the mother provides all nurturance, but in some cases fathers, older siblings, or unrelated conspecifics participate in parental care. The display of these behaviors by animals other than mothers is affected by numerous factors, including their sex. We herein review the literature on similarities and/or differences between male and female laboratory rodents (rats, mice, voles, gerbils, and hamsters) in their parental responsiveness and discuss how the parental behavior of males and females is influenced by hormones, developmental processes, and prior social experiences. Understanding the mechanisms that generate sex differences in the parental responsiveness of rodents may indicate how similar sex differences in parental care are generated in other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Lonstein
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Kalinichev M, Rosenblatt JS, Morrell JI. The medial preoptic area, necessary for adult maternal behavior in rats, is only partially established as a component of the neural circuit that supports maternal behavior in juvenile rats. Behav Neurosci 2000; 114:196-210. [PMID: 10718274 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.114.1.196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To determine whether the neurons of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) are necessary for pup-induced maternal behavior (MB) in juvenile and adult rats, subjects received bilateral injections of the neurotoxin N-Methyl-D-Aspartic acid into the MPOA. Controls were intact or were sham treated by surgical placement of the syringe barrel. The rats were then induced into MB by constant pup exposure. Starting at 27 (juvenile) or 60 (adult) days of age, rats were tested for MB for 12 consecutive days. After histological analysis, rats were categorized as having either large or small lesions of the MPOA. In juveniles, large lesions of the MPOA blocked retrieval and impaired nest-building, but crouching behavior was unaffected; small lesions had no effect on MB. In contrast, in adults, large or small lesions severely impaired all components of MB. The results suggest that in juvenile rats, the role of the MPOA neurons in MB is only partially established, whereas by 60 days of age, the unsubstitutable role of the MPOA in the neural circuit that mediates MB is fully established.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kalinichev
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Aidekman Research Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA.
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Li L, Keverne EB, Aparicio SA, Ishino F, Barton SC, Surani MA. Regulation of maternal behavior and offspring growth by paternally expressed Peg3. Science 1999; 284:330-3. [PMID: 10195900 DOI: 10.1126/science.284.5412.330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Imprinted genes display parent-of-origin-dependent monoallelic expression that apparently regulates complex mammalian traits, including growth and behavior. The Peg3 gene is expressed in embryos and the adult brain from the paternal allele only. A mutation in the Peg3 gene resulted in growth retardation, as well as a striking impairment of maternal behavior that frequently resulted in death of the offspring. This result may be partly due to defective neuronal connectivity, as well as reduced oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus, because mutant mothers were deficient in milk ejection. This study provides further insights on the evolution of epigenetic regulation of imprinted gene dosage in modulating mammalian growth and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Li
- Wellcome CRC Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, and Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, UK
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Young LJ, Winslow JT, Wang Z, Gingrich B, Guo Q, Matzuk MM, Insel TR. Gene targeting approaches to neuroendocrinology: oxytocin, maternal behavior, and affiliation. Horm Behav 1997; 31:221-31. [PMID: 9213136 DOI: 10.1006/hbeh.1997.1377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic technology affords exciting new opportunities in the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology. We have extended our research into the behavioral function of oxytocin in maternal and social behavior using two transgenic approaches: (i) targeted deletion of the oxytocin gene in mice and (ii) augmented oxytocin receptor expression in the brain. Mice genetically deficient in oxytocin can mate, give birth, and display normal maternal behavior; however, milk ejection and certain aspects of social behavior are affected. Comparative studies of oxytocin receptors have led to the observation that species differences in social organization are associated with differences in receptor distribution. Specifically, monogamous prairie voles and nonmonogamous, asocial montane voles exhibit different patterns of OT receptor expression in the brain. Transgenic mice have been created with a reporter gene driven by the prairie vole oxytocin receptor gene promoter. Analysis of the expression pattern suggests that it should be possible to manipulate receptor expression in the vole brain in order to examine the effects of receptor distribution on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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McCarthy MM, Kow LM, Pfaff DW. Speculations concerning the physiological significance of central oxytocin in maternal behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1992; 652:70-82. [PMID: 1626859 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1992.tb34347.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M M McCarthy
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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Infanticide and caretaking in non-lactating Mus musculus: Influence of genotype, family group and sex. Anim Behav 1982. [DOI: 10.1016/s0003-3472(82)80192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Svare B, Betteridge C, Katz D, Samuels O. Some situational and experiential determinants of maternal aggression in mice. Physiol Behav 1981; 26:253-8. [PMID: 7195046 DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(81)90020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Spear LP, Shalaby IA, Brick J. Chronic administration of haloperidol during development: behavioral and psychopharmacological effects. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1980; 70:47-58. [PMID: 6775334 DOI: 10.1007/bf00432369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Chronic haloperidol treatment during prenatal and postnatal development was found to induce long-term behavioral and psychopharmacological effects. Rats tested shortly after termination of the chronic treatment at weaning or as young adults were hyperactive in the open field and exhibited an attenuated behavioral response to amphetamine and an accentuated cataleptic response to later doses of haloperidol, when compared with control offspring of the same age. Tests at an intermediate interval (adolescence period) showed no significant difference from control offspring on any of these behavioral measures. Adult rats administered haloperidol chronically for the same duration were also hyperactive after termination of treatment. In contrast to the effects of haloperidol during development, these adults exhibited an accentuated behavioral response to amphetamine and an attenuated cataleptic response to a later dose of haloperidol. Compensatory mechanisms in response to chronic haloperidol treatment during development thus appear to be different from those in adulthood.
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Abstract
In this study a conditioned taste aversion paradigm was employed to examine the ontogenetic trend in psychopharmacological responsiveness to amphetamine among infant (18 days of age), periadolescent (35 days of age), and young adult (52 days of age) rats. The ability of amphetamine to alter taste preference increased with dosage level and this effect interacted with age. Infant rats demonstrated greater sensitivity to the taste aversion inducing properties of amphetamine than either periadolescent or young adult animals. In contrast, periadolescent animals demonstrated a marked resistance to amphetamine's taste aversion inducing properties when compared with either infant or young adult animals. This developmental pattern in amphetamine drug responsiveness seen utilizing the taste aversion paradigm parallels the previously examined ontogenetic trend in amphetamine response using locomotor activity as a response measure.
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