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Hou W, Ma H, Huang C, Li Y, Li L, Zhang L, Qu Y, Xun Y, Yang Q, He Z, Tai F. Effects of paternal deprivation on empathetic behavior and the involvement of oxytocin receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105536. [PMID: 38522143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Paternal deprivation (PD) impairs social cognition and sociality and increases levels of anxiety-like behavior. However, whether PD affects the levels of empathy in offspring and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), impaired sociality, reduced the ability of emotional contagion, and the level of consolation behavior. Meanwhile, PD reduced OT neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in both male and female mandarin voles. PD decreased the level of OT receptor (OTR) mRNA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of male and female mandarin voles. Besides, OTR overexpression in the ACC reversed the PD-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior, social preference, emotional contagion, and consolation behavior. Interference of OTR expression in the ACC increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors, while it reduced levels of sociality, emotional contagion, and consolation. These results revealed that the OTR in the ACC is involved in the effects of PD on empathetic behaviors, and provide mechanistic insight into how social experiences affect empathetic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China; School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, 264005, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qixuan Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
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García-Saucedo B, Romero-Morales L, Álvarez-Rodríguez C, Cárdenas-Vázquez R, Ávila-Costa MR, Luis J. Father's Absence in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is associated with alterations in paternal behavior, T, cort, presence of ERα, and AR in mPOA/ BNST. Behav Brain Res 2024; 465:114928. [PMID: 38432301 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114928] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone (T), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), and androgen receptor (AR) play a significant role in the regulation of paternal behavior. We determined the effects of deprivation of paternal care on alterations in paternal behavior, T concentrations in plasma, and the presence of ERα and AR in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MeA), and olfactory bulb (OB), as well as the corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in plasma caused by deprivation of paternal care in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Twenty pairs of gerbils were formed; the pups were deprived of paternal care (DPC) in 10 pairs. In another 10 pairs, the pups received paternal care (PC). Ten males raised in DPC condition and 10 males raised in PC conditions were mated with virgin females. When they became fathers, each DPC male and PC male was subjected to tests of paternal behavior on day three postpartum. Blood samples were obtained to quantify T and CORT concentrations, and the brains were removed for ERα and AR immunohistochemistry analyses. DPC males gave less care to their pups than PC males, and they had significantly lower T concentrations and levels of ERα and AR in the mPOA and BNST than PC males. DPC males also had higher CORT concentrations than PC males. These results suggest that in the Mongolian gerbil father's absence causes a decrease in paternal care in the offspring, which is associated with alterations in the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda García-Saucedo
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, 7 Circuitos de Posgrado, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de 8 México, México
| | - Luis Romero-Morales
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, UMF, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de los Barrios No. 1, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de México, Mexico
| | - Carmen Álvarez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, UMF, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de los Barrios No. 1, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de México, Mexico
| | - René Cárdenas-Vázquez
- Laboratorio de Biología Animal Experimental, Depto. de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - María Rosa Ávila-Costa
- Laboratorio de Neuromorfología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex, Mexico
| | - Juana Luis
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, UMF, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de los Barrios No. 1, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de México, Mexico.
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Curley JP, Champagne FA. Shaping the development of complex social behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1530:46-63. [PMID: 37855311 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences can have an enduring impact on the brain and behavior, with implications for stress reactivity, cognition, and social behavior. In particular, the neural systems that contribute to the expression of social behavior are altered by early life social environments. However, paradigms that have been used to alter the social environment during development have typically focused on exposure to stress, adversity, and deprivation of species-typical social stimulation. Here, we explore whether complex social environments can shape the development of complex social behavior. We describe lab-based paradigms for studying early life social complexity in rodents that are generally focused on enriching the social and sensory experiences of the neonatal and juvenile periods of development. The impact of these experiences on social behavior and neuroplasticity is highlighted. Finally, we discuss the degree to which our current approaches for studying social behavior outcomes give insight into "complex" social behavior and how social complexity can be better integrated into lab-based methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Walker SL, Sud N, Beyene R, Palin N, Glasper ER. Paternal deprivation induces vigilance-avoidant behavior and accompanies sex-specific alterations in stress reactivity and central proinflammatory cytokine response in California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2317-2334. [PMID: 36988696 PMCID: PMC10599166 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early-life stress (ELS) can increase anxiety, reduce prosocial behaviors, and impair brain regions that facilitate emotional and social development. This knowledge greatly stems from assessing disrupted mother-child relationships, while studies investigating the long-term effects of father-child relationships on behavioral development in children are scarce. However, available evidence suggests that fathers may uniquely influence a child's behavioral development in a sex-specific manner. Rodent models examining mother-offspring interaction demonstrate relationships among ELS, neuroinflammatory mediators, and behavioral development; yet, the role paternal care may play in neuroimmune functioning remains unreported. OBJECTIVES Using the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), we examined to what extent paternal deprivation impairs social and anxiety-like behaviors, augments peripheral corticosterone (CORT) response, and alters central proinflammatory cytokine production following an acute stressor in adulthood. METHODS Biparentally reared and paternally deprived (permanent removal of the sire 24 h post-birth) adult mice were assessed for sociability, preference for social novelty, social vigilance, and social avoidance behaviors, followed by novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) testing for general anxiety-like behavior. Following an acute stressor, circulating CORT concentrations and region-specific proinflammatory cytokine concentrations were determined via radioimmunoassay and Luminex multianalyte analysis, respectively. RESULTS In response to a novel same-sex conspecific, social vigilance behavior was associated with reduced sociability and increased avoidance in paternally deprived mice-an effect not observed in biparentally reared counterparts. Yet, in response to a familiar same-sex conspecific, social vigilance persisted but only in paternally deprived females. The latency to consume during NSF testing was not significantly altered by paternal deprivation. In response to an acute physical stressor, lower circulating CORT concentrations were observed in paternally deprived females. Compared to control-reared males, paternal deprivation increased hypothalamic interleukin-1β, but decreased hippocampal IL-6 protein concentration. CONCLUSION Greater social vigilance behavior was demonstrated in paternally deprived mice while they avoided social interaction with a novel same-sex conspecific; however, in response to a familiar same-sex conspecific, paternal deprivation increased social vigilance behavior but only in females. It is possible that different neurobiological mechanisms underlie these observed behavioral outcomes as sex-specific central proinflammatory cytokine and stress responsivity were observed in paternally deprived offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakeera L Walker
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Neilesh Sud
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Rita Beyene
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Nicole Palin
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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Wu R, Xu Z, Song Z, Tai F. Providing or receiving alloparental care promote partner preference and alter central oxytocin and dopamine systems in adult mandarin voles. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105366. [PMID: 37116234 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Juveniles of cooperative breeding species usually remain in the natal area and provide care to younger siblings, a behavior considered one form of alloparenting in the natural condition. Previous studies have demonstrated the effects of providing or receiving alloparental care on adult behaviors, including anxiety-like behavior, social interaction, and parental behavior, but little is known about the influences on species-typical bonding behaviors, such as pair-bond formation. In this study, we explored this concept using socially monogamous mandarin voles (Lasiopodomys mandarinus). As the oxytocin (OT) and dopamine systems are involved in alloparental and pair-bonding behaviors, we also examined the levels of central OT and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as well as OT receptor (OTR) and dopamine D1-type and D2-type receptors (D1R and D2R) mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and amygdala to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Our results show that mandarin voles providing alloparental care to younger siblings displayed facilitation of partner preference formation, lower levels of OT expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and lateral hypothalamus (LH), and increased OTR and D2R mRNA expression in the NAcc compared to controls. Individuals receiving alloparental care also demonstrated facilitation of partner preference formation in adult voles. Additionally, alloparental care enhanced OT expression in the PVN, anterior medial preoptic nucleus (MPOAa), medial amygdala (MeA), and TH expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and zona incerta (ZI). Furthermore, males displayed decreased D1R mRNA expression in the NAcc, whereas females showed slightly increased D2R expression in the amygdala. These results demonstrate that providing or received alloparental care can promote partner preference formation in monogamous species and that these changes are associated with altered OT and dopamine levels and their receptors in specific brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyong Wu
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China; Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China.
| | - Zedong Xu
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Zhenzhen Song
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China; Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China.
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Rogers FD, Peña CJ, Mallarino R. African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) as a neurobehavioral model for male parental care. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105364. [PMID: 37087766 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is diversely demonstrated across the animal kingdom, such that active practitioners and repertoires of parental behavior vary dramatically between and within taxa. For mammals, maternal care is ubiquitous while paternal and alloparental care are rare. The African striped mouse, a rodent species in the family Muridae, demonstrates maternal, paternal, and alloparental care. Because socio-environmental factors can considerably influence the development of their social behavior, including that of paternal and alloparental care, African striped mice are considered socially flexible. Here, we highlight African striped mice as a new model for the neurobiological study of male parental care. We first provide essential background information on the species' natural ecological setting and reproductive behavior, as well as the species-relevant interaction between ecology and reproduction. We then introduce the nature of maternal, paternal, and alloparental care in the species. Lastly, we provide a review of existing developmental and neurobiological perspectives and highlight potential avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Dylan Rogers
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, 119 Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America.
| | - Catherine Jensen Peña
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, 119 Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America
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7
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Effects of paternal deprivation in social rodents. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.21.2.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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8
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Emmerson MG. Losing a parent in early-life impairs flock size discrimination and lowers oxytocin receptor abundance in a medial amygdala homologue of adult zebra finches. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22307. [PMID: 36282756 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing inadequate parental care during early-life diminishes adult social competencies. For example, low parental care impairs adult socio-cognitive abilities (e.g., recognizing familiar conspecifics) and affiliation (e.g., close social proximity); outcomes attributed to diminished medial amygdala nonapeptide functioning in rodents. Whether parental care has effects beyond familiarity, and if siblings have similar effects to parents, is unclear. Here, zebra finches were used to explore if parent and/or sibling number shape adult recognition and preference of small versus large flocks and nonapeptide (oxytocin, vasotocin) receptor expression in an avian homologue of the mammalian medial amygdala. Chicks were raised by single mothers or fathers in small broods or paired parents in small or large broods matched to single parents for chicks per nest or per parent, respectively. Pair-raised birds had preferred flock sizes as adults, but birds raised by single parents had equal preference for either size. Oxytocin receptor expression was lower in birds raised by single parents versus paired parents, but vasotocin receptor levels were unaffected. Such results highlight parents as formative antecedents of their offspring's social competencies related to group size preference and their nonapeptide mechanisms, outcomes that influence an animal's ability to live in social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Emmerson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Individual and Combined Effects of Paternal Deprivation and Developmental Exposure to Firemaster 550 on Socio-Emotional Behavior in Prairie Voles. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10050268. [PMID: 35622681 PMCID: PMC9147230 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10050268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is rapidly rising, suggesting a confluence of environmental factors that are likely contributing, including developmental exposure to environmental contaminants. Unfortunately, chemical exposures and social stressors frequently occur simultaneously in many communities, yet very few studies have sought to establish the combined effects on neurodevelopment or behavior. Social deficits are common to many NDDs, and we and others have shown that exposure to the chemical flame retardant mixture, Firemaster 550 (FM 550), or paternal deprivation impairs social behavior and neural function. Here, we used a spontaneously prosocial animal model, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), to explore the effects of perinatal chemical (FM 550) exposure alone or in combination with an early life stressor (paternal absence) on prosocial behavior. Dams were exposed to vehicle (sesame oil) or 1000 µg FM 550 orally via food treats from conception through weaning and the paternal absence groups were generated by removing the sires the day after birth. Adult offspring of both sexes were then subjected to open-field, sociability, and a partner preference test. Paternal deprivation (PD)-related effects included increased anxiety, decreased sociability, and impaired pair-bonding in both sexes. FM 550 effects include heightened anxiety and partner preference in females but reduced partner preference in males. The combination of FM 550 exposure and PD did not exacerbate any behaviors in either sex except for distance traveled by females in the partner preference test and, to a lesser extent, time spent with, and the number of visits to the non-social stimulus by males in the sociability test. FM 550 ameliorated the impacts of parental deprivation on partner preference behaviors in both sexes. This study is significant because it provides evidence that chemical and social stressors can have unique behavioral effects that differ by sex but may not produce worse outcomes in combination.
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Joushi S, Taherizadeh Z, Esmaeilpour K, Sheibani V. Environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin administration reverse maternal separation-induced impairments of prosocial choice behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 213:173318. [PMID: 34974063 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences influence behavioral and physiological functions and increase vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal separation (MS) is an established animal model that reproduces the features of chronic stress or adverse experiences during early life. Previous studies have been shown that MS may lead to impairments of social behaviors. Here, we investigated the effects of MS on mutual reward preferences in a double T-maze prosocial choice task. Since enriched environment (EE) and intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration have beneficial effects on cognition and social behaviors, in the present study we tested whether these treatments, alone or in combination, would affect prosocial behavior of rats which underwent MS during infancy. Rat pups underwent MS paradigm for 180 min/day from postnatal day (PND) 1-21. From PND 22-34, rats were exposed to an EE and/or received intranasal OT (2 μg/μl, 7 days). Hence, the 8 groups consisted of control (CTRL), MS, CTRL+EE, CTRL+OT and the saline groups. Assessment of prosocial choice behavior was started in adolescence. MS impaired prosocial choice behavior and reduced mutual reward preferences. Getting exposed to EE and intranasal OT administration could overcome MS-induced deficits and promoted mutual reward preferences of MS rats. Combination of short-term EE and OT strengthened prosocial behavior. Obtained results showed that EE and OT may be considered as profitable therapeutic approaches for promoting some aspects of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zahra Taherizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Xiong M, Chen J, Johnson W. Relative deprivation and social anxiety among Chinese migrant children: Testing a moderated mediation model of perceived control and belief in a just world. J Health Psychol 2021; 27:2581-2602. [PMID: 34865538 DOI: 10.1177/13591053211059388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To examine the relationship between relative deprivation and social anxiety, which affects mental health, and investigate the mediating role of perceived control and the moderating role of belief in a just world (BJW) in an understudied population in Asia, we surveyed 1573 rural-to-urban migrant children (48% female; Mage = 12.3, SD = 1.7) in southeast China. Relative deprivation was positively correlated with social anxiety; perceived control partially mediated this connection. Moreover, BJW moderated the indirect effect, which was stronger for male migrant children with lower levels of BJW. The limitations and practical implications of this study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xiong
- Yangtze University, China.,University of Edinburgh, UK
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Feng Y, Yang Y, Wang Y, Lv X, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Wang Q, He Z, Tai F, Jia R. Sex-dependent effects of pair bond interruption on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in adult mandarin voles. Behav Processes 2021; 192:104497. [PMID: 34499983 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104497] [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: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Stable and positive social bonds are pretty vital to the development of animals. Instability and disruptions of social bonds, such as maternal separation and social isolation, always produce disastrous influence on physiology, neuroendocrine and behaviors. Pair bond is one of the most important social bonds in adulthood. But the different effects of pair bond interruption between males and females are rarely studied. In the present study, the monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) were used to confirm the time window of pair bond formation. After that, voles were separated from their partner for 1 or 2 weeks. Then anxiety- and depression-like behaviors were investigated by using open field test, light-dark box test, tail suspension test and forced swimming test, respectively. The results showed that: (1) cohabitation for 5 days is sufficient and necessary for mandarin voles to form pair bond; (2) loss of partner is always crucial for the effects of pair bond interruption, while social isolation works in certain behavioral tests.; (3) pair bond interruption for 2 weeks significantly increased the level of anxiety and depression in adult males, but not female mandarin voles. Overall, this research suggested that loss of partner plays a key role in pair bond interruption in male mandarin voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqin Feng
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Yuying Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Xiaohuan Lv
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Yuqian Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Yunmeng Zhu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Qiao Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China.
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Science, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China.
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13
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Cai W, Ma H, Xun Y, Hou W, Wang L, Zhang X, Ran Y, Yuan W, Guo Q, Zhang J, Li L, Yang Y, Li Y, Lv Z, He Z, Jia R, Tai F. Involvement of the dopamine system in paternal behavior induced by repeated pup exposure in virgin male ICR mice. Behav Brain Res 2021; 415:113519. [PMID: 34389426 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Like mothers, fathers play a vital role in the development of the brain and behavior of offspring in mammals with biparental care. Unlike mothers, fathers do not experience the physiological processes of pregnancy, parturition, or lactation before their first contact with offspring. Whether pup exposure can induce the onset of paternal behavior and the underlying neural mechanisms remains unclear. By using Slc:ICR male mice exhibiting maternal-like parental care, the present study found that repeated exposure to pups for six days significantly increased the total duration of paternal behavior and shortened the latency to retrieve and care for pups. Repeated pup exposure increased c-Fos-positive neurons and the levels of dopamine- and TH-positive neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). In addition, inhibition of dopamine projections from the ventral tegmental area to the NAc using chemogenetic methods reduced paternal care induced by repeated pup exposure. In conclusion, paternal behavior in virgin male ICR mice can be initiated by repeated pup exposure via sensitization, and the dopamine system may be involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqi Cai
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huan Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Limin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xueni Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yufeng Ran
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qianqian Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Laifu Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yitong Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zijian Lv
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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14
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Rogers FD, Freeman SM, Anderson M, Palumbo MC, Bales KL. Compositional variation in early-life parenting structures alters oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptor development in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). J Neuroendocrinol 2021; 33:e13001. [PMID: 34189787 PMCID: PMC8486352 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Paternal absence can significantly alter bio-behavioural development in many biparental species. This effect has generally been demonstrated by comparing the development of offspring reared under biparental care with those reared by a single mother. However, studies employing this design conflate two significant modifications to early-life experience: removal of father-specific qualities and the general reduction of offspring-directed care. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), the experience of paternal absence without substitution during development inhibits partner preference formation in adulthood, a hallmark of social monogamy, in females and males. Employing alloparents as substitutes for fathers, our previous work demonstrated that paternal absence affects pair-bond formation in female offspring via reduced quantity of care, although it affects pair-bond formation in male offspring by means of a missing paternal quality (or qualities). Here, we present evidence that paternal absence (with and without alloparental substitution) may alter the ontogeny of neural oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and/or vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a) distribution in male and female prairie voles. Compared to biparentally reared controls (BPC), male offspring reared in mother only (MON) and maternal-plus-alloparental (MPA) conditions show lower densities of OXTR in the central amygdala; and MPA males show lower densities of OXTR in the caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens. Early-life experience was not associated with differences in AVPR1a density in males. However, MON and MPA females show greater densities of AVPR1a in the medial amygdala than BPC; and MPA females show greater densities of AVPR1a in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. We also demonstrate with corticosterone concentrations that MON and MPA offspring are not differentially susceptible to a stressor (ie, social isolation) than BPC offspring. These findings suggest that paternal absence, although likely not a salient early-life stressor, has neuroendocrine consequences for offspring, some of which may affect partner preference formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest D Rogers
- Psychology Graduate Program, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sara M Freeman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Marina Anderson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michelle C Palumbo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, USA
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15
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Čater M, Majdič G. How early maternal deprivation changes the brain and behavior? Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2058-2075. [PMID: 33870558 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress can adversely influence brain development and reprogram brain function and consequently behavior in adult life. Adequate maternal care in early childhood is therefore particularly important for the normal brain development, and adverse early life experiences can lead to altered emotional, behavioral, and neuroendocrine stress responses in the adulthood. As a form of neonatal stress, maternal deprivation/separation is often used in behavioral studies to examine the effects of early life stress and for modeling the development of certain psychiatric disorders and brain pathologies in animal models. The temporary loss of maternal care during the critical postpartum periods remodels the offspring's brain and provokes long-term effects on learning and cognition, the development of mental disorders, aggression, and an increased tendency for the drug abuse. Early life stress through maternal deprivation affects neuroendocrine responses to stress in adolescence and adulthood by dysregulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and permanently disrupts stress resilience. In this review, we focused on how improper maternal care during early postnatal life affects brain development resulting in modified behavior later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Čater
- Veterinary Faculty, Laboratory for Animal Genomics, Institute for Preclinical Studies, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Majdič
- Veterinary Faculty, Laboratory for Animal Genomics, Institute for Preclinical Studies, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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16
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Huang J, Shen C, Ye R, Shi Y, Li W. The Effect of Early Maternal Separation Combined With Adolescent Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress on Behavior and Synaptic Plasticity in Adult Female Rats. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:539299. [PMID: 33746787 PMCID: PMC7973020 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.539299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aims were to evaluate the depression model of early maternal separation (MS) combined with adolescent chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in female adult SD rats to observe the behavior and the expressions of synaptic proteins in rats and to provide a reference for the screening of antidepressant drug activity. In our study, MS and CUMS were conducted to establish a dual stress model on female rats. Behavioral tests, including the sucrose preference test, open field test, and zero maze test, were used to detect depression-like and anxiety-like behavior of animals. Nissl staining was used to detect the number of neuronal cells in the hippocampus CA1 and DG regions of rats from each group. Synaptophysin (SYN), postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) expressions in the hippocampus were detected by western blot. Expression of the hippocampus SYN protein was further detected by immunohistochemistry. Rats in the MS+CUMS group presented more serious depression-like and anxiety-like behavior than in the MS group. Also, few Nissl bodies in the hippocampus CA1 and DG regions, less percentage of SYN-positive cells, and downregulated expressions of SYN, PSD-95, and GAP43 were found in the hippocampus of rats in MS+CUMS group. In conclusion, adult female rats that underwent MS and CUMS performed more critical depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and this process may be resulted from synaptic plasticity impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Huang
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chongkun Shen
- School of Fundamental Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ran Ye
- Heyuan People's Hospital, Heyuan, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yafei Shi
- School of Fundamental Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weirong Li
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Pillay N, Rymer TL. Sons benefit from paternal care in African striped mice. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:662-675. [PMID: 33098084 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian paternal care is rare and is often linked to enhanced fitness under particular ecological conditions. The proximate consequences of paternal care on offspring are lacking, however. Here, we tested whether levels of paternal care predict the behavioural, cognitive and physiological development of sons in the naturally paternal African striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio). We focused on sons raised in two treatments: biparental (both parents) or uniparental (mother alone) families. We recorded levels of interactions between pups with both parents, and later assessed the behaviour, cognition and physiology of sons at three developmental stages: juvenile, sub-adult and adult (sexual maturity). Sons from biparental families showed (a) reduced anxiety as juveniles; (b) greater exploration and social interaction at different stages; (c) better cognition; and (d) reduced corticosterone concentrations than sons from uniparental families. In contrast, sons from uniparental families showed greater levels of paternal care, although prolactin concentrations did not differ between treatments. Paternal care in striped mice enhances fitness of males. Here, we also show that sons benefit psychologically and physiologically through interactions with their fathers. However, sons also trade-off such benefits against their own paternal care behaviour, suggesting that fathers influence the development of their son's phenotype in complex ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tasmin L Rymer
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.,Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
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18
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Yu P, Yang M, Zhao H, Cao R, Chen Z, Gong D. Characteristics of pup ultrasonic vocalizations and parental behavior responses in midday gerbils (Meriones meridianus). Physiol Behav 2020; 224:113075. [PMID: 32663552 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) play an important role in parent-infant interactions during the neonatal period of rodents because of the pups' need to be suckled and protected by their parents. However, studies on the effects of USVs on parental care are focused on maternal behavior, and little data on paternal care are available, with especially few investigations in midday gerbils. In this study, we examined the effects of early social deprivation (ED) on offspring due to USVs and parental behavior responses in midday gerbils (Meriones meridianus). The results indicated that the number of USVs in ED gerbils increased on postnatal day nine (40 calls/minute), whereas the number of gerbils in the parental care (PC) group remained high for up to 2 weeks (46.6 calls/minute), before decreasing. The number of USVs and duration of single syllables from postnatal day 3 to 21 in ED pups were significantly lower than those in PC pups. ED increased maternal licking, grooming behavior, and nest-building, but decreased huddling and exploring behavior. Similarly, ED increased paternal behavior, like nest-building, but reduced exploring and self-grooming. Overall, gerbil pups displayed high levels of USVs and various syllable types before weaning. ED significantly reduced the number of USVs and syllable types, but increased maternal licking, grooming, and paternal nest-building behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yu
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China
| | - Minna Yang
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China
| | - Haochi Zhao
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China
| | - Ruidong Cao
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China
| | - Dajie Gong
- Institute of Behavioral and Physical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China.
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19
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Kaneda Y, Kawata A, Suzuki K, Matsunaga D, Yasumatsu M, Ishiwata T. Comparison of neurotransmitter levels, physiological conditions, and emotional behavior between isolation-housed rats with group-housed rats. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:452-460. [PMID: 32945540 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain monoaminergic neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and noradrenaline (NA), play crucial roles in neuronal and physiological functions, including social behaviors. Isolation housing may induce behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities in rats, although its influence on neurotransmitter levels remains obscure. This study investigated the influence of isolation- or group-housing on core body temperature (Tcore ), locomotor activity (ACT), emotional behavior, and neurotransmitter levels in male Wistar rats. Behavioral changes were monitored using the open field test (OFT) and social interaction test (SIT). After 4 weeks, brain tissues were collected to quantify 5-HT, DA, and NA concentrations. Body weight and basal Tcore during both the light and dark phase were higher in isolation-housed than in group-housed rats, although no significant difference was seen in ACT. No significant differences were observed during the OFT. Isolation-housed rats showed increased line crossing and decreased social behavior during the SIT. Isolation-housed rats exhibited decreased levels of 5-HT in the caudate putamen and amygdala, and elevated and decreased NA levels in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and hippocampus, respectively. However, DA levels were unaffected. Thus, housing environments may affect brain areas that regulate various neuronal and physiological functions, such as memory, stress responses, and emotional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Kaneda
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akira Kawata
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kota Suzuki
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Daisuke Matsunaga
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mikinobu Yasumatsu
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ishiwata
- Graduate School of Community & Human Services, Rikkyo University, Saitama, Japan
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20
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Kelly AM, Ong JY, Witmer RA, Ophir AG. Paternal deprivation impairs social behavior putatively via epigenetic modification to lateral septum vasopressin receptor. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb9116. [PMID: 32917597 PMCID: PMC7467705 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb9116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Although it is well appreciated that the early-life social environment asserts subsequent long-term consequences on offspring brain and behavior, the specific mechanisms that account for this relationship remain poorly understood. Using a novel assay that forced biparental pairs or single mothers to prioritize caring for offspring or themselves, we investigated the impact of parental variation on adult expression of nonapeptide-modulated behaviors in prairie voles. We demonstrated that single mothers compensate for the lack of a co-parent. Moreover, mothers choose to invest in offspring over themselves when faced with a tradeoff, whereas fathers choose to invest in themselves. Furthermore, our study suggests a pathway whereby variation in parental behavior (specifically paternal care) may lead to alterations in DNA methylation within the vasopressin receptor 1a gene and gene expression in the lateral septum. These differences are concomitant with changes in social approach, a behavior closely associated with septal vasopressin receptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jie Yuen Ong
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ruth A Witmer
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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21
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Yuan W, Li L, Hou W, He Z, Wang L, Zhang J, Yang Y, Cai W, Guo Q, Zhang X, Jia R, Lian Z, Tai F. Preweaning Paternal Deprivation Impacts Parental Responses to Pups and Alters the Serum Oxytocin and Corticosterone Levels and Oxytocin Receptor, Vasopressin 1A Receptor, Oestrogen Receptor, Dopamine Type I Receptor, Dopamine Type II Receptor Levels in Relevant Brain Regions in Adult Mandarin Voles. Neuroendocrinology 2020; 110:292-306. [PMID: 31256151 DOI: 10.1159/000501798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although maternal separation and neonatal paternal deprivation (PD) have been found to exert a profound and persistent effects on the physiological and behavioural development of offspring, whether preweaning PD (PPD; from PND 10 to 21) affects maternal and parental responses to pups and the underlying neuroendocrine mechanism are under-investigated. Using monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), the present study found that PPD increased the latency to approach a pup-containing ball, decreased the total durations of sniffing and contacting a pup-containing ball and walking and increased the total duration of inactivity in both sexes. Moreover, PPD decreased serum oxytocin levels and increased corticosterone levels, but only in females. Furthermore, in both males and females, PPD decreased the expression of oxytocin receptor mRNA and protein in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but increased it in the medial amygdala (MeA) and decreased the expression of oestrogen receptor mRNA and protein in the MPOA. PPD increased the expression of dopamine type I receptor in the NAcc, but decreased it in the mPFC. PPD decreased dopamine type II receptor (D2R) in the NAcc both in males and females, but increased D2R in the mPFC in females and decreased D2R protein expression in males. Moreover, PPD decreased vasopressin 1A receptor (V1AR) in the MPOA, MeA and mPFC, but only in males. Our results suggest that the reduction of parental responses to pups induced by PPD may be associated with the sex-specific alteration of several neuroendocrine parameters in relevant brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medications, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Laifu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qianqian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xueni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
- Cognition Neuroscience and Learning Division, Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhenmin Lian
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China,
- Cognition Neuroscience and Learning Division, Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China,
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22
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Agarwal P, Palin N, Walker SL, Glasper ER. Sex-dependent effects of paternal deprivation and chronic variable stress on novel object recognition in adult California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Horm Behav 2020; 117:104610. [PMID: 31669457 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early-life stress exposure can confer vulnerability for development of psychiatric illnesses and impaired cognition in adulthood. It is well-known that early-life stress can dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in a sex-dependent manner. Specifically, uniparental rodent models of prolonged disrupted mother-offspring relationships (e.g., maternal separation) have demonstrated greater alterations in stress responsivity in adult males, compared to females. Also, chronic early-life stressors (e.g., limited bedding model) impair cognitive function in males more than females. However, the sex-dependent effects of early-life stress and later-life chronic HPA axis activation on cognition have not been well-characterized. Here, we utilized the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) to model the early-life adversity of paternal deprivation (PD). Fathers either remained in the nest (biparental care) or were permanently removed (PD) on postnatal day (PND) 1. Adult offspring were exposed to daily handling (control) or chronic variable stress (CVS; three stressors for seven days). Twenty-four hours after the final stressor, the novel object recognition (NOR) task commenced, followed by serum collection for corticosterone (CORT) analysis. Independent of sex or rearing, CVS increased CORT. Exploration during acquisition for the NOR task was increased as a result of CVS and PD. During NOR testing, non-stressed females exhibited greater difference scores (i.e., increased recognition memory), compared to non-stressed males. However, the addition of CVS diminished difference scores in females - an effect not observed in CVS-exposed males. Overall, these data suggest that neonatal paternal experience, sex, and chronic stress contribute to exploratory behavior, cognition, and stress hormone concentrations in a biparental species.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Agarwal
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - N Palin
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - S L Walker
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - E R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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23
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Zhao M, Harris BN, Nguyen CTY, Saltzman W. Effects of single parenthood on mothers' behavior, morphology, and endocrine function in the biparental California mouse. Horm Behav 2019; 114:104536. [PMID: 31153926 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Motherhood is energetically costly for mammals and is associated with pronounced changes in mothers' physiology, morphology and behavior. In ~5% of mammals, fathers assist their mates with rearing offspring and can enhance offspring survival and development. Although these beneficial consequences of paternal care can be mediated by direct effects on offspring, they might also be mediated indirectly, through beneficial effects on mothers. We tested the hypothesis that fathers in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) reduce the burden of parental care on their mates, and therefore, that females rearing offspring with and without assistance from their mates will show differences in endocrinology, morphology and behavior, as well as in the survival and development of their pups. We found that pups' survival and development in the lab did not differ between those raised by a single mother and those reared by both mother and father. Single mothers spent more time in feeding behaviors than paired mothers. Both single and paired mothers had higher lean mass and/or lower fat mass and showed more anxiety-like behavior in open-field tests and tail-suspension tests, compared to non-breeding females. Single mothers had higher body-mass-corrected liver and heart masses, but lower ovarian and uterine masses, than paired mothers and/or non-breeding females. Mass of the gastrointestinal tract did not differ between single and paired mothers, but single mothers had heavier gastrointestinal tract compared to non-breeding females. Single motherhood also induced a flattened diel corticosterone rhythm and a blunted corticosterone response to stress, compared to non-breeding conditions. These findings suggest that the absence of a mate induces morphological and endocrine changes in mothers, which might result from increased energetic demands of pup care and could potentially help maintain normal survival and development of pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhao
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States of America
| | - Breanna N Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, United States of America
| | - Catherine T Y Nguyen
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States of America
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, United States of America.
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24
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Effect of early maternal separation stress on attention, spatial learning and social interaction behaviour. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:1993-2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05567-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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25
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He Z, Young L, Ma XM, Guo Q, Wang L, Yang Y, Luo L, Yuan W, Li L, Zhang J, Hou W, Qiao H, Jia R, Tai F. Increased anxiety and decreased sociability induced by paternal deprivation involve the PVN-PrL OTergic pathway. eLife 2019; 8:44026. [PMID: 31084703 PMCID: PMC6516825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early adverse experiences often have devastating consequences. However, whether preweaning paternal deprivation (PD) affects emotional and social behaviors and their underlying neural mechanisms remain unexplored. Using monogamous mandarin voles, we found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior and attenuated social preference in adulthood. PD also decreased the number of oxytocin (OT)-positive neurons projecting from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and reduced the levels of the medial prefrontal cortex OT receptor protein in females and of the OT receptor and V1a receptor proteins in males. Intra-prelimbic cortical OT injections reversed the PD-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior and social preferences. Optogenetic activation of the prelimbic cortex OT terminals from PVN OT neurons reversed the PD-induced changes in emotion and social preference behaviors, whereas optogenetic inhibition was anxiogenic and impaired social preference in naive voles. These findings demonstrate that PD increases anxiety-like behavior and attenuates social preferences through the involvement of PVN OT neuron projections to the prelimbic cortex. Parental care early in life is essential for normal development of the brain in humans and some other animals. It also lays the ground work for healthy behaviors later in life. Many studies have looked at the importance of a mother’s care, but less attention has been paid to the role played by fathers. Research shows that children who grow up without a father are at risk of emotional and behavioral problems later in life. But it is not clear how missing a father’s care affects brain development. Oxytocin, a chemical produced by a part of the brain called the paraventricular nucleus, plays a key role in parental bonding. Another part of the brain called the prelimbic cortex regulates many emotions and many complex behaviors. Studying animals, like the mandarin vole, that form strong bonds with both parents is one way to learn more about how the loss of paternal care affects oxytocin or emotional and behavioral health. Now, He et al. show that mandarin voles raised without a father are more anxious and socialize less with other voles than those raised with a father. The voles deprived of paternal care also have fewer oxytocin-producing cells in the paraventricular nucleus and fewer receptors for oxytocin in the prelimbic cortex. Injecting oxytocin into the prelimbic cortex eliminated the anxious and antisocial behavior seen in the voles lacking paternal care. Using a technique called optogenetics to restore the release of oxytocin in the prelimbic cortex reduced anxious behavior and restored normal social interactions. Using the same approach to interfere with communication between the paraventricular nucleus and prelimbic cortex in voles raised with a father also triggered anxious and antisocial behavior. The experiments reveal that fathers play an important role in brain and behavioral development in mandarin voles. He et al. show that a lack of paternal care leads to deficits in oxytocin and a poor communication between the paraventricular nucleus and prelimbic cortex that contribute to emotional and social abnormalities in the voles. More studies are needed to determine father’s care has similar effects in humans. But if this relationship is confirmed, it might lead scientists to develop new strategies for treating psychiatric disorders in people deprived of paternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Larry Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, United States.,Center for Social Neural Networks, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Xin-Ming Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, United States
| | - Qianqian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Luo Luo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Laifu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Qiao
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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26
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Zhang J, He ZX, Wang LM, Yuan W, Li LF, Hou WJ, Yang Y, Guo QQ, Zhang XN, Cai WQ, An SC, Tai FD. Voluntary Wheel Running Reverses Deficits in Social Behavior Induced by Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Mice: Involvement of the Dopamine System. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:256. [PMID: 31019446 PMCID: PMC6458241 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Voluntary exercise has been reported to have a therapeutic effect on many psychiatric disorders and social stress is known to impair social interaction. However, whether voluntary exercise could reverse deficits in social behaviors induced by chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. The present study shows CSDS impaired social preference and induced social interaction deficiency in susceptible mice. Voluntary wheel running (VWR) reversed these effects. In addition, CSDS decreased the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area and the D2 receptor (D2R) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell. These changes can be recovered by VWR. Furthermore, the recovery effect of VWR on deficits in social behaviors in CSDS mice was blocked by the microinjection of D2R antagonist raclopride into the NAc shell. Thus, these results suggest that the mechanism underlying CSDS-induced social interaction disorder might be caused by an alteration of the dopamine system. VWR may be a novel means to treat CSDS-induced deficits in social behaviors via modifying the dopamine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhi-Xiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Li-Min Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wen-Juan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qian-Qian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue-Ni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wen-Qi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shu-Cheng An
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fa-Dao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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27
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Yuan W, He Z, Hou W, Wang L, Li L, Zhang J, Yang Y, Jia R, Qiao H, Tai F. Role of oxytocin in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) in the modulation of paternal behavior in mandarin voles. Horm Behav 2019; 110:46-55. [PMID: 30836063 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Parental care plays an important role in individual survival and development in mammals. Many studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying maternal behavior. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of paternal behavior are less understood. Using monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), the present study found that fathers initiated more paternal behavior and the virgin male showed more infanticide. Moreover fathers had shorter latency to approach a pup at the postnatal day (PND) 10 than PND1, PND20 than nonfathers. Fathers had a shorter latency to take care of unfamiliar pups than nonfathers. They had higher levels of paternal behavior at PND 10 than PND1 and PND20 toward the mandarin vole pups. Fathers had a significantly higher serum concentration of oxytocin (OT) than virgin males. Both RT-PCR and Western blot results indicated that the levels of the oxytocin receptor (OTR) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of fathers were significantly higher than in virgin males, but the levels of vasopressin 1a receptor (V1AR) mRNA and protein expression in the MPOA did not show significant differences. Microinjection of an oxytocin receptor antagonist into the MPOA significantly reduced the total duration of paternal behavior and increased the latency to approach the pup and initiate paternal behavior. Our results indicated that OT plays a key role in the modulation of paternal behavior via the MPOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Laifu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Hui Qiao
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
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28
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Alteration in oxytocin levels induced by early social environment affects maternal behavior and estrogen receptor alpha in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus). Behav Brain Res 2019; 365:36-47. [PMID: 30802533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have shown that the early social environment exerts long-term effects on the brain and also the parental behavior of adults. Oxytocin (OXT) is one of the most important neurotransmitters that regulate social behavior; howerve, whether the early social environment affects parental behavior via OXT remains unclear. Using socially monogamous adult mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), the present study found that 1) both paternal deprivation and early social deprivation significantly decreased OXT expression in both the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of F2 generation offspring; 2) systemic neonatal OXT injection in naïve animals promoted maternal but not paternal behavior in adult F2 offspring; 3) systemic neonatal OXT injection significantly increased ERα expression in both the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the ventro medial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) in female but not in male mandarin voles; 4) systemic neonatal administration of an OXT antagonist significantly reduced ERα expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), VMH, and the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (Arc) in females and in all examined brain regions in males. In summary, the obtained data demonstrate that the early social environment could affect OXT level, which in turn leads to long-term effects on ERα expression in relevant brain regions, consequently affecting maternal behavior but not paternal behavior.
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29
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He Z, Guo Q, Yang Y, Wang L, Zhang S, Yuan W, Li L, Zhang J, Hou W, Yang J, Jia R, Tai F. Pre-weaning paternal deprivation impairs social recognition and alters hippocampal neurogenesis and spine density in adult mandarin voles. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:452-462. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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30
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Montagud-Romero S, Blanco-Gandía MC, Reguilón MD, Ferrer-Pérez C, Ballestín R, Miñarro J, Rodríguez-Arias M. Social defeat stress: Mechanisms underlying the increase in rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:2948-2970. [PMID: 30144331 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction is known to be the main source of stress in human beings, which explains the translational importance of this research in animals. Evidence reported over the last decade has revealed that, when exposed to social defeat experiences (brief episodes of social confrontations during adolescence and adulthood), the rodent brain undergoes remodeling and functional modifications, which in turn lead to an increase in the rewarding and reinstating effects of different drugs of abuse. The mechanisms by which social stress cause changes in the brain and behavior are unknown, and so the objective of this review is to contemplate how social defeat stress induces long-lasting consequences that modify the reward system. First of all, we will describe the most characteristic results of the short- and long-term consequences of social defeat stress on the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse such as psychostimulants and alcohol. Secondly, and throughout the review, we will carefully assess the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these effects, including changes in the dopaminergic system, corticotrophin releasing factor signaling, epigenetic modifications and the neuroinflammatory response. To conclude, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages and the translational value of the social defeat stress model, and will discuss challenges and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Montagud-Romero
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Marina D Reguilón
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Raul Ballestín
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose Miñarro
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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31
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Yohn CN, Leithead AB, Ford J, Gill A, Becker EA. Paternal Care Impacts Oxytocin Expression in California Mouse Offspring and Basal Testosterone in Female, but Not Male Pups. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:181. [PMID: 30210315 PMCID: PMC6123359 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural variations in parenting are associated with differences in expression of several hormones and neuropeptides which may mediate lasting effects on offspring development, like regulation of stress reactivity and social behavior. Using the bi-parental California mouse, we have demonstrated that parenting and aggression are programmed, at least in part, by paternal behavior as adult offspring model the degree of parental behavior received in development and are more territorial following high as compared to low levels of care. Development of these behaviors may be driven by transient increases in testosterone following paternal retrievals and increased adult arginine vasopressin (AVP) immunoreactivity within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) among high-care (HC) offspring. It remains unclear, however, whether other neuropeptides, such as oxytocin (OT), which is sensitive to gonadal steroids, are similarly impacted by father-offspring interactions. To test this question, we manipulated paternal care (high and low care) and examined differences in adult offspring OT-immunoreactive (OT-ir) within social brain areas as well as basal T and corticosterone (Cort) levels. HC offspring had more OT-ir within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) than low-care (LC) offspring. Additionally, T levels were higher among HC than LC females, but no differences were found in males. There were no differences in Cort indicating that our brief father-pup separations likely had no consequences on stress reactivity. Together with our previous work, our data suggest that social behavior may be programmed by paternal care through lasting influences on the neuroendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Amanda B Leithead
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julian Ford
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander Gill
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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32
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Al-Naimi OAS, Delvalle JR, Carryl SS, Rodriguez NA, Aliou F, Cambi M, Bamshad M. Socio-Ecological Disruptions at Critical Periods During Development Alter Stress Responses and Hippocampal Dendritic Morphology of Prairie Voles: Implications for Social Monogamy. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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33
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Wu R, Song Z, Tai F. Parent-offspring cohabitation after weaning inhibits partner preference and alters central oxytocin and dopamine systems in adult mandarin vole. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:593-604. [PMID: 29671049 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In some mammals, offspring may live with their parents for a very long time after weaning, but little is known about the effect of post-weaning parent-offspring cohabitation on the behavioral and neurobiological development of offspring. Here, we explored the effect of this experience on partner preference in adult mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus). Levels of central oxytocin (OT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as well as OT receptor (OTR), dopamine D1-type and D2-type receptors (D1R and D2R) mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial amygdala (MeA) were also measured. Our data showed that post-weaning living with parents inhibited the preference to partner over an unfamiliar opposite-sex conspecific. Voles with this experience possessed more OT-but less TH-immunoreactive neurons as compared to the control. Additionally, males with this experience had less D2R and OTR mRNA expression in the NAcc than the control while females had less D2R mRNA expression in the NAcc, but more OTR mRNA expression in the MeA. These findings demonstrate that post-weaning parent-offspring cohabitation inhibits the partner preference formation at adulthood, and these changes may be associated with alterations in the levels of central OT and DA, and their receptor mRNA expression in specific brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyong Wu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. .,Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Zhenzhen Song
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. .,Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA.
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34
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Wang L, Hou W, He Z, Yuan W, Yang J, Yang Y, Jia R, Zhu Z, Zhou Y, Tai F. Effects of chronic social defeat on social behaviors in adult female mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus): Involvement of the oxytocin system in the nucleus accumbens. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:278-288. [PMID: 29126982 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat affects many aspects of behavior. Most previous studies have focused on effects on males and defeat during adolescence. The extents to which chronic social defeat can impact female social behavior in adulthood and the neural mechanisms of such effects are poorly understood. Using highly social and aggressive female mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), the present study found that chronic social defeat reduced social preference in adult females, and that the defeated voles exhibited a high level of freeze, self-grooming and defensive behavior, as well as reduced exploration, intimacy and aggression during social interactions. Furthermore, chronic social defeat reduced levels of oxytocin (OT) and OT receptors (OTR) in the shell region of the nucleus accumbens (NACC). Intra-NACC shell OT microinjections reversed alterations in social behavior induced by chronic social defeat, whereas injections of an OTR antagonist (OTR-A) blocked the effects of OT. Taken together, our data demonstrate that chronic social defeat suppresses measures of sociability, and that these effects are mediated by the action of OT on the OTR in the NACC. NACC OT may be a promising target to treat socio-emotional disorders induced by chronic social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Jinfeng Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhenxiang Zhu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
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35
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Glasper ER, Hyer MM, Hunter TJ. Enduring Effects of Paternal Deprivation in California Mice ( Peromyscus californicus): Behavioral Dysfunction and Sex-Dependent Alterations in Hippocampal New Cell Survival. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:20. [PMID: 29487509 PMCID: PMC5816956 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences with caregivers can significantly affect offspring development in human and non-human animals. While much of our knowledge of parent-offspring relationships stem from mother-offspring interactions, increasing evidence suggests interactions with the father are equally as important and can prevent social, behavioral, and neurological impairments that may appear early in life and have enduring consequences in adulthood. In the present study, we utilized the monogamous and biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). California mouse fathers provide extensive offspring care and are essential for offspring survival. Non-sibling virgin male and female mice were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups following the birth of their first litter: (1) biparental care: mate pairs remained with their offspring until weaning; or (2) paternal deprivation (PD): paternal males were permanently removed from their home cage on postnatal day (PND) 1. We assessed neonatal mortality rates, body weight, survival of adult born cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and anxiety-like and passive stress-coping behaviors in male and female young adult offspring. While all biparentally-reared mice survived to weaning, PD resulted in a ~35% reduction in survival of offspring. Despite this reduction in survival to weaning, biparentally-reared and PD mice did not differ in body weight at weaning or into young adulthood. A sex-dependent effect of PD was observed on new cell survival in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, such that PD reduced cell survival in female, but not male, mice. While PD did not alter classic measures of anxiety-like behavior during the elevated plus maze task, exploratory behavior was reduced in PD mice. This observation was irrespective of sex. Additionally, PD increased some passive stress-coping behaviors (i.e., percent time spent immobile) during the forced swim task—an effect that was also not sex-dependent. Together, these findings demonstrate that, in a species where paternal care is not only important for offspring survival, PD can also contribute to altered structural and functional neuroplasticity of the hippocampus. The mechanisms contributing to the observed sex-dependent alterations in new cell survival in the dentate gyrus should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Molly M Hyer
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Terrence J Hunter
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
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Pohl TT, Young LJ, Bosch OJ. Lost connections: Oxytocin and the neural, physiological, and behavioral consequences of disrupted relationships. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 136:54-63. [PMID: 29330007 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In humans and rodent animal models, the brain oxytocin system is paramount for facilitating social bonds, from the formation and consequences of early-life parent-infant bonds to adult pair bond relationships. In social species, oxytocin also mediates the positive effects of healthy social bonds on the partners' well-being. However, new evidence suggests that the negative consequences of early neglect or partner loss may be mediated by disruptions in the oxytocin system as well. With a focus on oxytocin and its receptor, we review studies from humans and animal models, i.e. mainly from the biparental, socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), on the beneficial effects of positive social relationships both between offspring and parents and in adult partners. The abundance of social bonds and benevolent social relationships, in general, are associated with protective effects against psycho- and physiopathology not only in the developing infant, but also during adulthood. Furthermore, we discuss the negative effects on well-being, emotionality and behavior, when these bonds are diminished in quality or are disrupted, for example through parental neglect of the young or the loss of the partner in adulthood. Strikingly, in prairie voles, oxytocinergic signaling plays an important developmental role in the ability to form bonds later in life in the face of early-life neglect, while disruption of oxytocin signaling following partner loss results in the emergence of depressive-like behavior and physiology. This review demonstrates the translational value of animal models for investigating the oxytocinergic mechanisms that underlie the detrimental effects of developmental parental neglect and pair bond disruption, encouraging future translationally relevant studies on this topic that is so central to our daily lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias T Pohl
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Yohn CN, Leithead AB, Ford J, Gill A, Becker EA. Paternal Care Impacts Oxytocin Expression in California Mouse Offspring and Basal Testosterone in Female, but Not Male Pups. Front Behav Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 30210315 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00181/bibtex] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural variations in parenting are associated with differences in expression of several hormones and neuropeptides which may mediate lasting effects on offspring development, like regulation of stress reactivity and social behavior. Using the bi-parental California mouse, we have demonstrated that parenting and aggression are programmed, at least in part, by paternal behavior as adult offspring model the degree of parental behavior received in development and are more territorial following high as compared to low levels of care. Development of these behaviors may be driven by transient increases in testosterone following paternal retrievals and increased adult arginine vasopressin (AVP) immunoreactivity within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) among high-care (HC) offspring. It remains unclear, however, whether other neuropeptides, such as oxytocin (OT), which is sensitive to gonadal steroids, are similarly impacted by father-offspring interactions. To test this question, we manipulated paternal care (high and low care) and examined differences in adult offspring OT-immunoreactive (OT-ir) within social brain areas as well as basal T and corticosterone (Cort) levels. HC offspring had more OT-ir within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) than low-care (LC) offspring. Additionally, T levels were higher among HC than LC females, but no differences were found in males. There were no differences in Cort indicating that our brief father-pup separations likely had no consequences on stress reactivity. Together with our previous work, our data suggest that social behavior may be programmed by paternal care through lasting influences on the neuroendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Amanda B Leithead
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julian Ford
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander Gill
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Different behavioral, neural and neuropeptide responses of fathers to their own and to alien pups in mandarin voles. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:257-269. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1229-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Du P, He Z, Cai Z, Hao X, Dong N, Yuan W, Hou W, Yang J, Jia R, Tai F. Chronic central oxytocin infusion impairs sociability in mandarin voles. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 161:38-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Wang J, Fang Q, Yang C. Effects of paternal deprivation on cocaine-induced behavioral response and hypothalamic oxytocin immunoreactivity and serum oxytocin level in female mandarin voles. Behav Brain Res 2017; 334:135-141. [PMID: 28756211 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Early paternal behavior plays a critical role in behavioral development in monogamous species. The vast majority of laboratory studies investigating the influence of parental behavior on cocaine vulnerability focus on the effects of early maternal separation. However, comparable studies on whether early paternal deprivation influences cocaine-induced behavioral response are substantially lacking. Mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) is a monogamous rodent with high levels of paternal care. After mandarin vole pups were subjected to early paternal deprivation, acute cocaine- induced locomotion, anxiety- like behavior and social behavior were examined in 45day old female pups, while hypothalamic oxytocin immunoreactivity and serum oxytocin level were also assessed. We found that cocaine increased locomotion and decreased social investigation, contact behavior and serum oxytocin level regardless of paternal care. Cocaine increased anxiety levels and decreased oxytocin immunoreactive neurons of the paraventricular nuclei and supraoptic nuclei in the bi-parental care group, whilst there were no specific effects in the paternal deprivation group. These results indicate that paternal deprivation results in different behavioral response to acute cocaine exposure in adolescents, which may be in part associated with the alterations in oxytocin immunoreactivity and peripheral OT level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
| | - Qianqian Fang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Chenxi Yang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
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Yohn CN, Leithead AB, Becker EA. Increased vasopressin expression in the BNST accompanies paternally induced territoriality in male and female California mouse offspring. Horm Behav 2017; 93:9-17. [PMID: 28359742 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
While developmental consequences of parental investment on species-typical social behaviors has been extensively characterized in same-sex parent-offspring interactions, the impact of opposite-sex relationships is less clear. In the bi-parental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), paternal retrieval behavior induces territorial aggression and the expression of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in adult male offspring. Although similar patterns of territorially emerge among females, the sexually dimorphic AVP system has not been considered since it is generally thought to regulate male-typical behavior. However, we recently demonstrated that male and female P. californicus offspring experience increases in plasma testosterone following paternal retrieval. Since AVP expression is androgen-dependent during development, we postulate that increases in AVP expression may accompany territoriality in female, as well as male offspring. To explore this aim, adult P. californicus offspring that received either high or low levels of paternal care (retrievals) during early development were tested for territoriality and immunohistochemical analysis of AVP within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Consistent with previous studies, high care offspring were more aggressive than low care offspring. Moreover, high care offspring had significantly more AVP immunoreactive (AVP-ir) cells within the BNST than low care offspring. This pattern was observed within female as well as male offspring, suggesting an equally salient role for paternal care on female offspring physiology. Regardless of early social experience, sex differences in AVP persisted in the BNST, with males having greater expression than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA; Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Amanda B Leithead
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
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42
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Tabbaa M, Lei K, Liu Y, Wang Z. Paternal deprivation affects social behaviors and neurochemical systems in the offspring of socially monogamous prairie voles. Neuroscience 2017; 343:284-297. [PMID: 27998780 PMCID: PMC5266501 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early life experiences, particularly the experience with parents, are crucial to phenotypic outcomes in both humans and animals. Although the effects of maternal deprivation on offspring well-being have been studied, paternal deprivation (PD) has received little attention despite documented associations between father absence and children health problems in humans. In the present study, we utilized the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), which displays male-female pair bonding and bi-parental care, to examine the effects of PD on adult behaviors and neurochemical expression in the hippocampus. Male and female subjects were randomly assigned into one of two experimental groups that grew up with both the mother and father (MF) or with the mother-only (MO, to generate PD experience). Our data show that MO subjects received less parental licking/grooming and carrying and were left alone in the nest more frequently than MF subjects. At adulthood (∼75days of age), MO subjects displayed increased social affiliation (SOA) toward a conspecific compared to MF subjects, but the two groups did not differ in social recognition (SOR) and anxiety-like behavior. Interestingly, MO subjects showed consistent increases in both gene and protein expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) as well as the levels of total histone 3 and histone 3 acetylation in the hippocampus compared to MF subjects. Further, PD experience increased glucocorticoid receptor beta (GRβ) protein expression in the hippocampus of females as well as increased corticotrophin receptor 2 (CRHR2) protein expression in the hippocampus of males, but decreased CRHR2 mRNA in both sexes. Together, our data suggest that PD has a long-lasting, behavior-specific effect on SOA and alters hippocampal neurochemical systems in the vole brain. The functional role of such altered neurochemical systems in social behaviors and the potential involvement of epigenetic events should be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Tabbaa
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Kelly Lei
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
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43
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He Z, Zhang S, Yu C, Li Y, Jia R, Tai F. Emotional attachment of pre-weaning pups to mothers and fathers in mandarin voles. Behav Processes 2017; 135:87-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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44
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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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45
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Taborsky B. Opening the Black Box of Developmental Experiments: Behavioural Mechanisms Underlying Long-Term Effects of Early Social Experience. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
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46
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Zhang S, Yu C, Feng T, Wang B, Tai F. The effects of olfactory and sound signals from dams during prior brief isolation on levels of paternal behaviours in mandarin voles. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although effects of paternal deprivation on offspring have been previously studied, the factors initiating and maintaining paternal care are not very clear. Using socially monogamous mandarin voles, we investigated whether cues from dams affect paternal behaviours. The sires were separated from their pups individually or placed with dams immediately prior to paternal behaviour testing. The results showed that sires kept with dams displayed more huddling behaviour and shorter latency of retrieving than sires isolated individually. Sires placed with dams in a closed box also exhibited less huddling behaviour and longer latency of retrieving than sires placed with dams in an open box. In addition, anosmia, deafness or combination of these two treatments all significantly reduced huddling and licking behaviour compared with sham-operated group respectively. These results suggest that communication between sires and dams especially via olfactory and auditory signals plays an important role in strengthening paternal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwei Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710062, P.R. China
| | - Chengjun Yu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710062, P.R. China
- School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, P.R. China
| | - Tuo Feng
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710062, P.R. China
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710032, P.R. China
| | - Bo Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710062, P.R. China
- College of Biological Technology, Xi’an University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710065, P.R. China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710062, P.R. China
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47
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Bales KL, Saltzman W. Fathering in rodents: Neurobiological substrates and consequences for offspring. Horm Behav 2016; 77:249-59. [PMID: 26122293 PMCID: PMC4691427 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". Paternal care, though rare among mammals, is routinely displayed by several species of rodents. Here we review the neuroanatomical and hormonal bases of paternal behavior, as well as the behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of paternal behavior for offspring. Fathering behavior is subserved by many of the same neural substrates which are also involved in maternal behavior (for example, the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus). While gonadal hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, as well as hypothalamic neuropeptides such as oxytocin and vasopressin, and the pituitary hormone prolactin, are implicated in the activation of paternal behavior, there are significant gaps in our knowledge of their actions, as well as pronounced differences between species. Removal of the father in biparental species has long-lasting effects on behavior, as well as on these same neuroendocrine systems, in offspring. Finally, individual differences in paternal behavior can have similarly long-lasting, if more subtle, effects on offspring behavior. Future studies should examine similar outcome measures in multiple species, including both biparental species and closely related uniparental species. Careful phylogenetic analyses of the neuroendocrine systems presumably important to male parenting, as well as their patterns of gene expression, will also be important in establishing the next generation of hypotheses regarding the regulation of male parenting behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA; California National Primate Research Center, USA.
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, USA
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48
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Cadet JL. Epigenetics of Stress, Addiction, and Resilience: Therapeutic Implications. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 53:545-560. [PMID: 25502297 PMCID: PMC4703633 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-9040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent. SUDs involve vicious cycles of binges followed by occasional periods of abstinence with recurrent relapses despite treatment and adverse medical and psychosocial consequences. There is convincing evidence that early and adult stressful life events are risks factors for the development of addiction and serve as cues that trigger relapses. Nevertheless, the fact that not all individuals who face traumatic events develop addiction to licit or illicit drugs suggests the existence of individual and/or familial resilient factors that protect these mentally healthy individuals. Here, I give a brief overview of the epigenetic bases of responses to stressful events and of epigenetic changes associated with the administration of drugs of abuse. I also discuss the psychobiology of resilience and alterations in epigenetic markers that have been observed in models of resilience. Finally, I suggest the possibility that treatment of addiction should involve cognitive and pharmacological approaches that enhance resilience in at risk individuals. Similar approaches should also be used with patients who have already succumbed to the nefarious effects of addictive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, DHHS/NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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49
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Wang Q, Shao F, Wang W. Maternal separation produces alterations of forebrain brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in differently aged rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:49. [PMID: 26388728 PMCID: PMC4555027 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity, such as postnatal maternal separation (MS), play a central role in the development of psychopathologies during individual ontogeny. In this study, we investigated the effects of repeated MS (4 h per day from postnatal day (PND) 1-21) on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the hippocampus of male and female juvenile (PND 21), adolescent (PND 35) and young adult (PND 56) Wistar rats. The results indicated that MS increased BDNF in the CA1 and the dentate gyrus (DG) of adolescent rats as well as in the DG of young adult rats. However, the expression of BDNF in the mPFC in the young adult rats was decreased by MS. Additionally, in the hippocampus, there was decreased BDNF expression with age in both the MS and non separated rats. However, in the mPFC, the BDNF expression was increased with age in the non separated rats; nevertheless, the BDNF expression was significantly decreased in the MS young adult rats. In the NAc, the BDNF expression was increased with age in the male non-maternal separation (NMS) rats, and the young adult female MS rats had less BDNF expression than the adolescent female MS rats. The present study shows unique age-differently changes on a molecular level induced by MS and advances the use of MS as a valid animal model to detect the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wang
- Department of Psychology, Peking University Beijing, China
| | - Feng Shao
- Department of Psychology, Peking University Beijing, China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
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50
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The oxytocin system promotes resilience to the effects of neonatal isolation on adult social attachment in female prairie voles. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5. [PMID: 26196439 PMCID: PMC5068726 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genes and social experiences interact to create variation in social behavior and vulnerability to develop disorders of the social domain. Socially monogamous prairie voles display remarkable diversity in neuropeptide receptor systems and social behavior. Here, we examine the interaction of early-life adversity and brain oxytocin receptor (OTR) density on adult social attachment in female prairie voles. First, pups were isolated for 3 h per day, or unmanipulated, from postnatal day 1-14. Adult subjects were tested on the partner preference (PP) test to assess social attachment and OTR density in the brain was quantified. Neonatal social isolation impaired female PP formation, without affecting OTR density. Accumbal OTR density was, however, positively correlated with the percent of time spent huddling with the partner in neonatally isolated females. Females with high accumbal OTR binding were resilient to neonatal isolation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that parental nurturing shapes neural systems underlying social relationships by enhancing striatal OTR signaling. Thus, we next determined whether early touch, mimicking parental licking and grooming, stimulates hypothalamic OT neuron activity. Tactile stimulation induced immediate-early gene activity in OT neurons in neonates. Finally, we investigated whether pharmacologically potentiating OT release using a melanocortin 3/4 agonist, melanotan-II (10 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously), would mitigate the social isolation-induced impairments in attachment behavior. Neonatal melanotan-II administration buffered against the effects of early isolation on partner preference formation. Thus, variation in accumbal OTR density and early OT release induced by parental nurturing may moderate susceptibility to early adverse experiences, including neglect.
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