Estradiol increases the behavioral response to arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus

The bilevel chamber revealed differential involvement of vasopressin and oxytocin receptors in female mouse sexual behavior

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are well-known as neuropeptides that regulate various social behaviors in mammals. However, little is known about their role in mouse female sexual behavior. Thus, we investigated the role of AVP (v1a and v1b) and OT receptors on female sexual behavior. First, we devised a new apparatus, the bilevel chamber, to accurately observe female mouse sexual behavior. This apparatus allowed for a more precisely measurement of lordosis as receptivity and rejection-like behavior (newly defined in this study), a reversed expression of proceptivity. To address our research question, we evaluated female sexual behavior in mice lacking v1a (aKO), v1b (bKO), both v1a and v1b (dKO), and OT (OTRKO) receptors. aKO females showed decreased rejection-like behavior but a normal level of lordosis, whereas bKO females showed almost no lordosis and no change in rejection-like behavior. In addition, dKO females showed normal lordosis levels, suggesting that the v1b receptor promotes lordosis, but not necessarily, while the v1a receptor latently suppresses it. In contrast, although OTRKO did not influence lordosis, it significantly increased rejection-like behavior. In summary, the present results demonstrated that the v1a receptor inhibits proceptivity and receptivity, whereas the v1b and OT receptors facilitate receptivity and proceptivity, respectively.

Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and the Motivational Forces that Drive Social Behaviors

The motivation to engage in social behaviors is influenced by past experience and internal state, but also depends on the behavior of other animals. Across species, the oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp) systems have consistently been linked to the modulation of motivated social behaviors. However, how they interact with other systems, such as the mesolimbic dopamine system, remains understudied. Further, while the neurobiological mechanisms that regulate prosocial/cooperative behaviors have been extensively examined, far less is understood about competitive behaviors, particularly in females. In this chapter, we highlight the specific contributions of Oxt and Avp to several cooperative and competitive behaviors and discuss their relevance to the concept of social motivation across species, including humans. Further, we discuss the implications for neuropsychiatric diseases and suggest future areas of investigation.

Corticosterone suppresses vasotocin-enhanced clasping behavior in male rough-skinned newts by novel mechanisms interfering with V1a receptor availability and receptor-mediated endocytosis

In rough-skinned newts, Taricha granulosa, exposure to an acute stressor results in the rapid release of corticosterone (CORT), which suppresses the ability of vasotocin (VT) to enhance clasping behavior. CORT also suppresses VT-induced spontaneous activity and sensory responsiveness of clasp-controlling neurons in the rostromedial reticular formation (Rf). The cellular mechanisms underlying this interaction remain unclear. We hypothesized that CORT blocks VT-enhanced clasping by interfering with V1a receptor availability and/or VT-induced endocytosis. We administered a physiologically active fluorescent VT conjugated to Oregon Green (VT-OG) to the fourth ventricle 9 min after an intraperitoneal injection of CORT (0, 10, 40 μg/0.1mL amphibian Ringers). The brains were collected 30 min post-VT-OG, fixed, and imaged with confocal microscopy. CORT diminished the number of endocytosed vesicles, percent area containing VT-OG, sum intensity of VT-OG, and the amount of VT-V1a within each vesicle; indicating that CORT was interfering with V1a receptor availability and VT-V1a receptor-mediated endocytosis. CORT actions were brain location-specific and season-dependent in a manner that is consistent with the natural and context-dependent expression of clasping behavior. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the Rf to CORT was much higher in animals during the breeding season, arguing for ethologically appropriate seasonal variation in CORT's ability to prevent VT-induced endocytosis. Our data are consistent with the time course and interaction effects of CORT and VT on clasping behavior and neurophysiology. CORT interference with VT-induced endocytosis may be a common mechanism employed by hormones across taxa for mediating rapid context- and season-specific behavioral responses.

Species, sex and individual differences in the vasotocin/vasopressin system: relationship to neurochemical signaling in the social behavior neural network

Arginine-vasotocin (AVT)/arginine vasopressin (AVP) are members of the AVP/oxytocin (OT) superfamily of peptides that are involved in the regulation of social behavior, social cognition and emotion. Comparative studies have revealed that AVT/AVP and their receptors are found throughout the "social behavior neural network (SBNN)" and display the properties expected from a signaling system that controls social behavior (i.e., species, sex and individual differences and modulation by gonadal hormones and social factors). Neurochemical signaling within the SBNN likely involves a complex combination of synaptic mechanisms that co-release multiple chemical signals (e.g., classical neurotransmitters and AVT/AVP as well as other peptides) and non-synaptic mechanisms (i.e., volume transmission). Crosstalk between AVP/OT peptides and receptors within the SBNN is likely. A better understanding of the functional properties of neurochemical signaling in the SBNN will allow for a more refined examination of the relationships between this peptide system and species, sex and individual differences in sociality.

Vasopressin Proves Es-sense-tial: Vasopressin and the Modulation of Sensory Processing in Mammals

As mammals develop, they encounter increasing social complexity in the surrounding world. In order to survive, mammals must show appropriate behaviors toward their mates, offspring, and same-sex conspecifics. Although the behavioral effects of the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) have been studied in a variety of social contexts, the effects of this neuropeptide on multimodal sensory processing have received less attention. AVP is widely distributed through sensory regions of the brain and has been demonstrated to modulate olfactory, auditory, gustatory, and visual processing. Here, we review the evidence linking AVP to the processing of social stimuli in sensory regions of the brain and explore how sensory processing can shape behavioral responses to these stimuli. In addition, we address the interplay between hormonal and neural AVP in regulating sensory processing of social cues. Because AVP pathways show plasticity during development, early life experiences may shape life-long processing of sensory information. Furthermore, disorders of social behavior such as autism and schizophrenia that have been linked with AVP also have been linked with dysfunctions in sensory processing. Together, these studies suggest that AVP's diversity of effects on social behavior across a variety of mammalian species may result from the effects of this neuropeptide on sensory processing.

Deconstructing sociality, social evolution and relevant nonapeptide functions

Although behavioral neuroendocrinologists often discuss "sociality" as a unitary variable, the term encompasses a wide diversity of behaviors that do not evolve in a linked fashion across species. Thus grouping, monogamy, paternal care, cooperative breeding/alloparental care, and various other forms of social contact are evolutionarily labile and evolve in an almost cafeteria-like fashion, indicating that relevant neural mechanisms are at least partially dissociable. This poses a challenge for the study of the nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologous neuropeptides), because nonapeptides are known to modulate all of these aspects of sociality in one species or another. Hence, we may expect substantial diversity in the behavioral functions of nonapeptides across species, and indeed this is the case. Further compounding this complexity is the fact that the pleiotropic contributions of nonapeptides to social behavior are matched by pleiotropic contributions to physiology. Given these considerations, single "model systems" approaches to nonapeptide function will likely not have strong predictive validity for humans or other species. Rather, if we are to achieve predictive validity, we must sample a wide diversity of species in an attempt to derive general principles. In the present review, I discuss what is known about functional evolution of nonapeptide systems, and critically evaluate general assumptions about bonding and other functions that are based on the model systems approach. From this analysis I attempt to summarize what can and cannot be generalized across species, and highlight critical gaps in our knowledge about the functional evolution of nonapeptide systems as it relates to dimensions of sociality.

The regulation of social recognition, social communication and aggression: vasopressin in the social behavior neural network

Neuropeptides in the arginine vasotocin/arginine vasopressin (AVT/AVP) family play a major role in the regulation of social behavior by their actions in the brain. In mammals, AVP is found within a circuit of recriprocally connected limbic structures that form the social behavior neural network. This review examines the role played by AVP within this network in controlling social processes that are critical for the formation and maintenance of social relationships: social recognition, social communication and aggression. Studies in a number of mammalian species indicate that AVP and AVP V1a receptors are ideally suited to regulate the expression of social processes because of their plasticity in response to factors that influence social behavior. The pattern of AVP innervation and V1a receptors across the social behavior neural network may determine the potential range and intensity of social responses that individuals display in different social situations. Although fundamental information on how social behavior is wired in the brain is still lacking, it is clear that different social behaviors can be influenced by the actions of AVP in the same region of the network and that AVP can act within multiple regions of this network to regulate the expression of individual social behaviors. The existing data suggest that AVP can influence social behavior by modulating the interpretation of sensory information, by influencing decision making and by triggering complex motor outputs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.

Arginine-vasopressin and the regulation of aggression in female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is critical for the expression of a variety of social behaviors in many species. Previous studies have demonstrated that AVP regulates behaviors such as social communication and aggression in Syrian hamsters through the V1a receptor subtype. In male hamsters, AVP injected into the anterior hypothalamus (AH) stimulates aggression, while injection of a V1a receptor antagonist inhibits the behavior. The purpose of the present studies was to determine whether AVP influences aggression by its action in the AH in female hamsters. In the first experiment, we were surprised to find that injection of the V1a receptor antagonist, Manning compound, into the AH of intact female hamsters increased aggression. The second experiment confirmed the ability of the V1a receptor antagonist to increase aggression and found that the largest effects of the antagonist occurred at intermediate concentrations of the compound. The next experiment found that injection of AVP into the AH significantly reduced the latency to attack and the duration of aggression. Finally, we examined whether the effects of AVP and the V1a receptor antagonist on aggression differed in hamsters exposed to long 'summer-like' photoperiods or short 'winter-like' photoperiods, and found that their effects on aggression were not photoperiod dependent. In summary, contrary to what is observed in males, these data suggest that AVP in the AH may play an inhibitory role on aggression in female Syrian hamsters.

Photoperiodic mechanisms controlling scent marking: interactions of vasopressin and gonadal steroids

Microinjection of arginine vasopressin (Avp) into the rostral hypothalamus of Syrian hamsters induces a form of scent marking known as flank marking. The ability of Avp to stimulate flank marking is mediated by the vasopressin 1a receptor (Avpr1a). In hamsters housed in long 'summer-like' photoperiods, the amount of flank marking and the number of Avpr1a receptors in the rostral hypothalamus are regulated by testosterone. However, hamsters housed in short 'winter-like' photoperiods for 6-8 weeks continue to flank mark at high levels despite significant reductions in the circulating levels of testosterone. In the present study, we compared the effects of gonadal steroids on Avp-induced flank marking and Avpr1a binding and affinity in hamsters housed in short photoperiods and those housed in long photoperiods. In long-photoperiod-housed hamsters, castration significantly reduced the amount of Avp-induced flank marking; however, in short-photoperiod-housed hamsters there were no significant differences between gonadally regressed and castrated hamsters. Surprisingly, Avpr1a receptor binding, but not affinity, in the medial preoptic area and the medial preoptic nucleus was significantly reduced in long-photoperiod-housed castrates as well as short-photoperiod-housed gonadally regressed and castrated hamsters, compared with long-photoperiod-housed gonadally intact hamsters. These data demonstrate that in short photoperiods Avp-induced flank marking is independent of gonadal hormones, despite gonadal steroid-dependent reductions in Avpr1a binding.

Photoperiodic regulation of vasopressin receptor binding in female Syrian hamsters

During long "summer-like" photoperiods, female Syrian hamsters display a regular 4-day estrous cycle. However, during short "winter-like" photoperiods (<12.5 h of light/day) hamsters become anestrus. Short photoperiod exposure eliminates reproductive behavior but social behaviors such as aggression and scent marking continue to be displayed. In long photoperiods, the types and intensity of social behaviors change as a function of the estrous cycle. For example, aggression and scent marking tend to occur at higher levels on diestrus 1 and diestrus 2 than on proestrus or estrus. Aggression and scent marking may be regulated, at least in part, by changes in the density of arginine vasopressin-V(1a) receptors (V(1a)R). In Experiment 1, it was hypothesized that the density of V(1a)R would change across the estrous cycle in several subcortical regions implicated in the regulation of aggression and scent marking. In Experiment 2, it was hypothesized that exposure to short photoperiod would alter the density of V(1a)R in several regions involved in the regulation of social behavior. Interestingly, there were no dramatic changes in V(1a)R binding across the estrous cycle within any of the neuroanatomical areas measured. However, in hamsters housed in short photoperiod, there were lower levels of V(1a)R binding within the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), medial preoptic area (MPO), lateral hypothalamus (LH), central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) than in hamsters housed in long photoperiod. These data suggest that photoperiodic mechanisms can alter the density of V(1a)R in subset of V(1a) binding sites thought to be involved in the regulation of social behaviors in female hamsters.

The effects of sex steroids and vasotocin on behavioral responses to visual and olfactory sexual stimuli in ovariectomized female roughskin newts

Previous studies have found that vasotocin (AVT) administration to male roughskin newts (Taricha granulosa) enhances courtship clasping as well as appetitive responses to specific sexual stimuli and that treating female newts with androgens plus AVT induces the expression of male-typical courtship clasping (the selective clasping of females). However, the unique and/or interactive effects of sex steroids and AVT on appetitive responses to specific sexual stimuli have not yet been determined. To first identify male-typical, sexually dimorphic appetitive responses to female sexual stimuli, we tested intact newts during the breeding season and found that males, but not females, are attracted to female visual and pheromonal sexual stimuli. We then used ovariectomized (ovx) females implanted with empty silastic capsules (Blk) or with capsules containing testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or estradiol (E2) and then injected with either saline or AVT to determine the effects of steroids and AVT, alone or in combination with each other, on male-typical behavioral responses to those stimuli. E2 treatment depressed responses toward female visual stimuli independently of AVT. On the other hand, only T-implanted, AVT-injected females displayed male-typical behavioral responses toward female olfactory stimuli, preferring to spend more time in proximity to female-scented than unscented newt models and selectively clasping the female-scented models. Together, these results support the conclusion that sex steroids and AVT influence behavioral responses to sexual stimuli via sensory-specific mechanisms. Furthermore, they suggest that T and AVT interact within the brain to influence sensorimotor processing in the pathways that integrate olfactory sexual stimuli into male-typical courtship behaviors.

Short-photoperiod exposure reduces vasopressin (V1a) receptor binding but not arginine-vasopressin-induced flank marking in male Syrian hamsters

In Syrian hamsters, socially relevant information is communicated with a form of scent marking known as flank marking. There is substantial evidence that arginine-vasopressin acting on V1a vasopressin receptors (V1aR) in the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPOA-AH) regulates the expression of flank marking. Previous studies have shown that the expression of flank marking is also influenced by the circulating concentrations of gonadal hormones. In hamsters housed in long 'summer-like' photoperiods (i.e. >12.5 h of light/day), castration reduces flank marking and administration of testosterone restores precastration levels of flank marking. When exposed to short 'winter-like' photoperiods (i.e. <12.5 h of light/day), hamsters undergo gonadal regression and the circulating levels of testosterone decline. Surprisingly, flank marking induced during social encounters is not reduced in hamsters exposed to short photoperiods despite the low circulating concentrations of testosterone. In the present study, it was hypothesized that reductions in testosterone, caused by exposure to short photoperiod, would not reduce the ability of vasopressin to stimulate flank marking by its actions in the MPOA-AH. The amount of flank marking induced by vasopressin injected into the MPOA-AH did not significantly differ between hamsters housed in long and short photoperiods; however, short photoperiod-exposed males had significantly less V1aR binding in the MPOA than long photoperiod-exposed males. These results support the hypothesis that the sensitivity of the MPOA-AH to vasopressin is not reduced in short photoperiod-exposed males, despite decreases in serum testosterone. However, by contrast to our predictions, short photoperiod-exposed males have significantly reduced V1aR binding in the MPOA-AH compared to long photoperiod-exposed males.

Neuroendocrinology of context-dependent stress responses: vasotocin alters the effect of corticosterone on amphibian behaviors

The ability of an animal to respond with appropriate defensive behaviors when confronted with an immediate threat can affect its survival and reproductive success. In the roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa), exogenous corticosterone (CORT) rapidly blocks and vasotocin (VT) enhances reproductive behaviors (mainly clasping behavior). Electrophysiological studies have shown that pretreatment of male Taricha with VT counteracts the inhibitory effects of CORT on neuronal activity in the medulla. To test whether similar interactions between VT and CORT influence reproductive behaviors in Taricha, we recorded the time spent and incidence of clasping in males injected with VT or vehicle at 60 min and then CORT or vehicle at 5 min before presentation of a female. This study found that clasping behavior is suppressed in males that received vehicle and then CORT, but is not suppressed in males that received VT and then CORT. Considering these results and the possibility that the performance of clasping behaviors might cause increases in endogenous VT activity, we tested whether the suppressive effects of CORT administration on clasping behavior would occur in males that had recently clasped females. The study found that, in contrast to males that had been isolated from females, CORT administration did not suppress clasping behavior in males that had been allowed to clasp females for 60 min prior to the hormone injection. Our results suggest that, at least in this amphibian and perhaps in other animals, the neuroendocrine regulation of alternative behavioral responses to threats involves functional interactions between corticosteroids and VT-like peptides.

Behavioral neuroendocrinology of vasotocin and vasopressin and the sensorimotor processing hypothesis

Vasotocin (AVT) and vasopressin (AVP) are potent modulators of social behaviors in diverse species of vertebrates. This review addresses questions about how and where AVT and AVP act to modulate social behaviors, focusing on research with an amphibian model (Taricha granulosa). In general, the behaviorally important AVT and AVP neurons occur in the forebrain and project to sites throughout the brain. Social behaviors are modulated by AVT and AVP acting at multiple sites in the brain and at multiple levels in the behavioral sequence. This review proposes that AVT and AVP can act on sensory pathways to modulate the responsiveness of neurons to behaviorally relevant sensory stimuli and also can act on motor pathways in the brainstem and spinal cord to modulate the neuronal output to behavior-specific pattern generators. This neurobehavioral model, in which AVT and AVP are thought to modulate social behaviors by affecting sensorimotor processing, warrants further research.

Effects of peptides on animal and human behavior: a review of studies published in the first twenty years of the journal Peptides

This review catalogs effects of peptides on various aspects of animal and human behavior as published in the journal Peptides in its first twenty years. Topics covered include: activity levels, addiction behavior, ingestive behaviors, learning and memory-based behaviors, nociceptive behaviors, social and sexual behavior, and stereotyped and other behaviors. There are separate tables for these behaviors and a short introduction for each section.

Social behavior functions and related anatomical characteristics of vasotocin/vasopressin systems in vertebrates

The neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT; non-mammals) and its mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence a variety of sex-typical and species-specific behaviors, and provide an integrational neural substrate for the dynamic modulation of those behaviors by endocrine and sensory stimuli. Although AVT/AVP behavioral functions and related anatomical features are increasingly well-known for individual species, ubiquitous species-specificity presents ever increasing challenges for identifying consistent structure-function patterns that are broadly meaningful. Towards this end, we provide a comprehensive review of the available literature on social behavior functions of AVT/AVP and related anatomical characteristics, inclusive of seasonal plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and steroid sensitivity. Based on this foundation, we then advance three major questions which are fundamental to a broad conceptualization of AVT/AVP social behavior functions: (1) Are there sufficient data to suggest that certain peptide functions or anatomical characteristics (neuron, fiber, and receptor distributions) are conserved across the vertebrate classes? (2) Are independently-evolved but similar behavior patterns (e.g. similar social structures) supported by convergent modifications of neuropeptide mechanisms, and if so, what mechanisms? (3) How does AVT/AVP influence behavior - by modulation of sensorimotor processes, motivational processes, or both? Hypotheses based upon these questions, rather than those based on individual organisms, should generate comparative data that will foster cross-class comparisons which are at present underrepresented in the available literature.

Repeated cocaine treatment activates flank marking in adolescent female hamsters

Cocaine abuse during adolescence represents a significant health risk due to the potential for both acute and long-term negative physical and psychological sequelae, including increased aggressive behavior. This study examined the effect of adolescent cocaine treatment on flank marking (i.e., a stereotypic motor behavior that is part of the response pattern of offensive aggression) in female and male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Adolescent cocaine treatment activated flank marking in female hamsters when animals were measured upon return to their home cage immediately following drug treatment. Sex differences were observed in cocaine-induced flank marking, as males failed to flank mark when returned to the home cage. In females, the behavioral response was most marked on Day 11 of cocaine treatment in all doses tested. Yet, animals treated with low-dose cocaine (0.5 mg/kg/day) showed the most significant increase in flank marking on and from Day 11 forward as compared to medium- and high-dose cocaine-treated animals and controls. In addition, the response of cocaine-treated animals was vigorous and nearly immediate, as >75% of the flank marks scored were performed within the first 2 min of the behavioral test in >85% of animals examined. Measures of locomotion showed that cocaine had stimulatory effects on motor activity in adolescent female hamsters at all doses tested. Cocaine-treated animals did not differ in body weight gain from controls, suggesting no dramatic physiological effects of adolescent cocaine exposure on body growth at the doses tested.

Vasopressin (V1a) receptor binding, mRNA expression and transcriptional regulation by androgen in the Syrian hamster brain

Arginine vasopressin plays an important role in the regulation of social behaviours in rodents. In the Syrian hamster, vasopressin injected directly into the brain stimulates scent marking and aggressive behaviour in a steroid dependent manner and is therefore a useful model for investigating steroid-peptide-behaviour interactions. In this study, we used in situ hybridization and radioligand binding assays on adjacent sections of hamster brains to compare the relative distribution of vasopressin (V1a) receptor mRNA and V1a receptor binding. V1a receptor mRNA and binding are abundant in the lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic nucleus, anterodorsal thalamus and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Moderate receptor binding and low levels of receptor mRNA are present in the central nucleus of the amygdala and a lateral zone from the medial preoptic area through the anterior hypothalamus. V1a receptor mRNA is anatomically more restricted in several areas compared to the ligand binding pattern, which is consistent with significant spread of receptor protein along neuronal processes. Comparison of V1a receptor ligand binding and mRNA in intact, castrated, and castrated-testosterone treated animals reveals that V1a receptors in the medial preoptic nucleus are regulated by androgen, most likely by an upregulation of V1a receptor gene expression in a cluster of neurones concentrated in the ventromedial part of this nucleus. This study confirms the presence of the V1a subtype of vasopressin receptors in behaviourally important regions of the hamster brain and suggests that transcriptional regulation by gonadal steroids may play a role in modulating behavioural sensitivity to vasopressin.

Role of vasopressin and oxytocin in the control of social behavior in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) play an important role in regulating social behavior in a variety of species as a result of their actions in the central nervous system. The following paper reviews the actions of VP and OT in controlling a range of social behaviors involved in communication, aggression and reproduction in the Syrian hamster. These data suggest that social and hormonal stimuli alter the expression of specific social behaviors by altering the release of, or the response to, VP and OT within key elements of the neural circuits controlling these behaviors.

Injection of oxytocin into the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus increases ultrasound production by female hamsters

Recent studies of hamsters have documented the facilitation of lordosis and other sociosexual responses by injections of oxytocin (OXT) into the medial preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH). These data suggest the regulation of social interaction and bonds by OXT. In turn, this suggests that OXT could act in the MPOA-AH to control other behaviors involved in the initiation or maintenance of social contact, including the ultrasonic vocalizations that female hamsters use to alert and attract potential mates. To test this possibility, we compared the ultrasound rates of 11 naturally estrous hamsters before and after injections of OXT (200 ng/200 nl of saline) or saline (200 nl) into the MPOA-AH. The data revealed a clear facilitation of ultrasound rate 30 min after OXT treatment. This result suggests the modulation of ultrasound rate by endogenous OXT acting within the MPOA-AH. It extends the range of social behaviors sensitive to control by OXT and supports the possibility that OXT acts within the MPOA-AH to facilitate a variety of behaviors involved in the establishment or maintenance of the social interactions required for successful reproduction. At the same time, these data extend earlier observations linking ultrasound production to the MPOA-AH, and begin to describe the peptidergic mechanisms controlling this form of reproductive behavior.

Role of the central amygdala in social communication in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

In Syrian hamsters, vasopressin (AVP) controls a form of scent marking called flank marking. Microinjection and lesion studies have identified several components of the neural circuit controlling this behavior. Microinjection of AVP into the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH), lateral septal nucleus (LS), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), and periaqueductal gray (PAG) stimulates an intense bout of flank marking. Lesions of areas such as the MPOA-AH and the LS inhibit flank marking. Other studies employing Fos immunocytochemistry suggest that the central amygdala (Ce) might be a component of this neural circuit. The purpose of the present study was to assess the significance of the Ce in regulation of AVP-induced flank marking. In Expt. 1A, the Ce of hamsters were either lesioned with ibotenic acid or sham-lesioned. In Expt. 1B, the Ce of hamsters were either lesioned electrolytically or sham-lesioned. All lesions were made bilaterally. One week later, hamsters were microinjected with AVP into the MPOA-AH and immediately tested for flank marking. In Expt. 2, the hamsters were microinjected with AVP into the Ce and were immediately tested for flank marking. Ibotenic lesions of the Ce reduced flank marking and electrolytic lesions completely inhibited flank marking in response to AVP microinjected into the MPOA-AH. Sham-lesions or lesions placed in other areas of the amygdala resulted in intense bouts of AVP-induced flank marking and flank grooming. No flank marking or flank grooming was observed in response to AVP microinjected into the Ce. These data indicate that the Ce plays a critical role in AVP-induced flank marking, although flank marking is not induced by AVP within the Ce itself.

Neural circuitry controlling vasopressin-stimulated scent marking in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

In Syrian hamsters, arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a critical role in the control of a form of scent marking called flank marking. Microinjection of AVP into the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH), lateral septal nucleus (LS), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) stimulates high levels of flank marking. Microinjection of an antagonist of the V1a-AVP receptor into sites such as the MPOA-AH inhibits expression of flank marking. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the neural circuit controlling flank marking by localizing the induction of Fos protein in response to the microinjection of AVP, a V1a-AVP antagonist (AVPA) or saline into the MPOA-AH. Immediately after microinjection, hamsters were placed in a clean cage and their behavior was videotaped for 10 minutes. Ninety minutes after the behavioral experiment hamsters were perfused and their brains removed for subsequent immunocytochemical localization of Fos protein. The number of Fos-positive neurons was significantly greater in the BNST, PAG, and central amygdala (Ce) following the microinjection of AVP than following the microinjection of either AVPA or saline. In AVP-injected animals, the number of Fos-labeled cells in the Ce, PVN, and PAG increased with increased frequency of either flank marking or flank gland grooming. These data support the hypothesis that neurons within the MPOA-AH, BNST, and PAG play an important role in the control of flank marking and suggest that the Ce may be a previously unrecognized part of this neural circuit.

Behavioral consequences of intracerebral vasopressin and oxytocin: focus on learning and memory

Since the pioneering work of David de Wied and his colleagues, the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin and oxytocin have been thought to play a pivotal role in behavioral regulation in general, and in learning and memory in particular. The present review focuses on the behavioral effects of intracerebral arginine vasopressin and oxytocin, with particular emphasis on the role of these neuropeptides as signals in interneuronal communication. We also discuss several methodological approaches that have been used to reveal the importance of these intracerebral neuropeptides as signals within signaling cascades. The literature suggests that arginine vasopressin improves, and oxytocin impairs, learning and memory. However, a critical analysis of the subject indicates the necessity for a revision of this generalized concept. We suggest that, depending on the behavioral test and the brain area under study, these endogenous neuropeptides are differentially involved in behavioral regulation; thus, generalizations derived from a single behavioral task should be avoided. In particular, recent studies on rodents indicate that socially relevant behaviors triggered by olfactory stimuli and paradigms in which the animals have to cope with an intense stressor (e.g., foot-shock motivated active or passive avoidance) are controlled by both arginine vasopressin and oxytocin released intracerebrally.

Ovarian hormones alter the behavioral response of the medial preoptic anterior hypothalamus to arginine-vasopressin

In Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) arginine-vasopressin (AVP) within the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH) plays a critical role in the control of a hormone-dependent behavior called flank marking. The present study investigated whether ovarian hormones influence flank marking by altering the response of the MPOA-AH to AVP. The amount of flank marking stimulated by microinjection of AVP (9 microM in 200 nl saline) into the MPOA-AH varied significantly over the 4 days of the estrous cycle with the lowest levels of flank marking observed on estrus. A second experiment demonstrated that administration of progesterone significantly reduced AVP-stimulated flank marking in estradiol-treated ovariectomized hamsters. These data support the hypothesis that the changing levels of estradiol and progesterone during the estrous cycle influence flank marking by altering the sensitivity or response of the MPOA-AH to AVP.

Castration reduces vasopressin receptor binding in the hamster hypothalamus

A recently developed ligand with very high affinity and selectivity for the vasopressin (AVP) V1a receptor subtype (i.e. [125I]Linear AVP antagonist ([125I]-LinAntag) was used to describe the distribution of AVP binding sites in the hamster brain, and to determine whether AVP receptor binding was influenced by testicular hormones in sites involved in the regulation of steroid-dependent social behaviors. These studies demonstrated [125I]LinAntag binding in regions of the hamster brain which have not been previously identified with other AVP ligands. In addition, testicular hormones were found to alter [125I]LinAntag binding in two distinct regions, the posterior lateral preoptic-anterior lateral hypothalamic continuum and the posterior ventrolateral hypothalamic nucleus and adjacent tuberal area.

Effects of testosterone on the behavioral response to arginine vasopressin microinjected into the central gray and septum

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays an important role in the control of a gonadal hormone-dependent communicative behavior in the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) called flank marking. Previous studies have shown that gonadal hormones alter the amount of flank marking stimulated by the microinjection of AVP into the medial preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH). The purpose of the present study was to determine if testicular hormones alter the amount of flank marking stimulated by the microinjection of AVP into two other sites involved in the control of flank marking, the lateral septum-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (LS-BNST) and the central gray. The data of the present study indicate that testicular hormones may influence the amount of AVP-stimulated marking in the central gray and LS-BNST; however, these effects are subtle and appear to occur primarily at high concentrations of AVP. When taken together with previous studies, these data indicate that gonadal hormones have greater effects on AVP-stimulated marking in the MPOA-AH than in the LS-BNST or central gray.

Vasopressin and sex differences in hamster flank marking

Vasopressin (AVP) within the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPOA-AH) plays an essential role in the control of flank marking in Syrian hamsters. Sex differences are found in the scent marking of many mammalian species, including hamsters. The first two experiments tested the hypothesis that sex differences in flank marking are the result of sex differences in the availability of AVP for release in several CNS sites. No support for this hypothesis was provided because neither immunohistochemical analysis nor radioimmunoassay of tissue punches revealed sex differences in AVP immunoreactivity in the MPOA-AH or other sites likely to be involved in flank marking. The third experiment, which tested the hypothesis that sex differences in flank marking are the result of sex differences in the sensitivity or response of the MPOA-AH to AVP, found no sex differences in the amount of flank marking stimulated by microinjection of AVP in the MPOA-AH. These data provide no support for the hypothesis that sex differences in vasopressinergic activity are responsible for sex differences in flank marking.

CNS effects of peptides: a cross-listing of peptides and their central actions published in the journal Peptides, 1986-1993

The centrally mediated effects of peptides as published in the journal Peptides from 1986 to 1993 are tabulated in two ways. In one table, the peptides are listed alphabetically. In another table, the effects are arranged alphabetically. Most of the effects observed after administration of peptides are grouped, wherever possible, into categories such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal. The species used in most cases has been rats; where other animals were used, the species is noted. The route of administration of peptides and source of information also are included in the tables, with a complete listing provided at the end. Many peptides have been shown to exert a large number of centrally mediated effects.