From models to mechanisms: Odorant communication as a key determinant of social behavior in rodents during illness-associated states

Investigating social communication in mice: A two-intruders test approach

Understanding the complex dynamics of social communication behaviors, such as exploration, communication, courtship, mating, and aggression in animal models, is crucial to reveal key neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying these behaviors. The two-intruders test is designed to investigate residents' behavior toward both male and female intruders within the home cage of the test male. During this test imitating natural conditions, several aspects of social interaction were investigated: Exploration, courtship, mating, and aggressive behavior. As mating and aggression involve overlapping neural circuits, the behavioral setup testing both behaviors is best at reflecting their competitive nature. Our findings demonstrate that resident male mice exhibit strong preference to communicate with a female intruder, which correlates with baseline testosterone levels of test males. Relevant female preference in the two-intruders test was also found in BALB/c males. Behavioral breakdown revealed the anogenital sniffing as a key behavioral feature that discriminates resident male behavior toward intruders of different sex. Furthermore, resident male interaction with female intruder was accompanied by neuronal activation in the ventromedial hypothalamus. We demonstrate that odor recognition underlies preference toward females in male residents, as experimental anosmia reduced communication with a female intruder. We conclude the two-intruders test setup to be a useful tool to study the neurological basis of social communication in animal models, which provides detailed analysis of various aspects of the laboratory animals' social behavior in the most natural conditions.

Revisiting sociability: Factors facilitating approach and avoidance during the three-chamber test

The three-chamber test, the so-called sociability test, has been widely used to assess social deficits based on impaired socially oriented investigations in rodent models. An innate motivation for investigating conspecifics is theoretically a prerequisite for gaining sociability scores in this paradigm. However, several relevant factors mediating investigatory motives, such as familiarity, attractiveness, and aggression, may affect sociability scores, which must be verified to obtain an adequate evaluation of the psychiatric phenotypes exhibited by disease-relevant rodent models. We assessed the social and non-social factors that mediate proximity preference by the three-chamber test with standard C57BL/6 J (B6) mice and low sociability BTBR+ltpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice. Strains of the opponents had no effect. Sexual cues (i.e., opposite sex) increased proximity preference in both strains of mice; in contrast, novel objects induced an approach in B6 mice but avoidance in BTBR mice. Single-housing before testing, stimulated social motive, affected BTBR mice but not B6 mice. BTBR females showed increased proximity preference across the sessions, and BTBR males showed increased preference toward a male B6 stimulus, but not a male BTBR stimulus. The male preference was restored when the male BTBR stimulus was anesthetized. In addition, self-grooming was facilitated by social and non-social novelty cues in both strains. B6 mice predominantly exhibited an investigatory approach toward social or non-social stimuli, whereas BTBR mice recognized social cues but tended to show avoidance. The three-chamber test could evaluate approach-avoidance strategies in target mouse strains that comprise innate social distance between mice.

Discriminating between sick and healthy faces based on early sickness cues: an exploratory analysis of sex differences

Background and objectives

It has been argued that sex and disease-related traits should influence how observers respond to sensory sickness cues. In fact, there is evidence that humans can detect sensory cues related to infection in others, but lack of power from earlier studies prevents any firm conclusion regarding whether perception of sickness cues is associated with sex and disease-related personality traits. Here, we tested whether women (relative to men), individuals with poorer self-reported health, and who are more sensitive to disgust, vulnerable to disease, and concerned about their health, overestimate the presence of, and/or are better at detecting sickness cues.

Methodology

In a large online study, 343 women and 340 men were instructed to identify the sick faces from a series of sick and healthy photographs of volunteers with an induced acute experimental inflammation. Participants also completed several disease-related questionnaires.

Results

While both men and women could discriminate between sick and healthy individuals above chance level, exploratory analyses revealed that women outperformed men in accuracy and speed of discrimination. Furthermore, we demonstrated that higher disgust sensitivity to body odors is associated with a more liberal decision criterion for categorizing faces as sick.

Conclusion

Our findings give strong support for the human ability to discriminate between sick and healthy individuals based on early facial cues of sickness and suggest that women are significantly, although only slightly, better at this task. If this finding is replicated, future studies should determine whether women's better performance is related to increased avoidance of sick individuals.

Disgusted snails, oxytocin, and the avoidance of infection threat

Disgust is considered to be a fundamental affective state associated with triggering the behavioral avoidance of infection and parasite/pathogen threat. In humans, and other vertebrates, disgust affects how individuals interact with, and respond to, parasites, pathogens and potentially infected conspecifics and their sensory cues. Here we show that the land snail, Cepaea nemoralis, displays a similar "disgust-like" state eliciting behavioral avoidance responses to the mucus associated cues of infected and potentially infected snails. Brief exposure to the mucus of snails treated with the Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), elicited dose-related behavioral avoidance, including acute antinociceptive responses, similar to those expressed by mammals. In addition, exposure to the mucus cues of LPS treated snails led to a subsequent avoidance of unfamiliar individuals, paralleling the recognition of and avoidance responses exhibited by vertebrates exposed to potential pathogen risk. Further, the avoidance of, and antinociceptive responses to, the mucus of LPS treated snails were attenuated in a dose-related manner by the oxytocin (OT) receptor antagonist, L-368,899. This supports the involvement of OT and OT receptor homologs in the expression of infection avoidance, and consistent with the roles of OT in the modulation of responses to salient social and infection threats by rodents and other vertebrates. These findings with land snails are indicative of evolutionarily conserved disgust-like states associated with OT/OT receptor homolog modulated behavioral avoidance responses to infection and pathogen threat.

Sensing and avoiding sick conspecifics requires Gαi2+ vomeronasal neurons

BACKGROUND

Rodents utilize chemical cues to recognize and avoid other conspecifics infected with pathogens. Infection with pathogens and acute inflammation alter the repertoire and signature of olfactory stimuli emitted by a sick individual. These cues are recognized by healthy conspecifics via the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system, triggering an innate form of avoidance behavior. However, the molecular identity of the sensory neurons and the higher neural circuits involved in the detection of sick conspecifics remain poorly understood.

RESULTS

We employed mice that are in an acute state of inflammation induced by systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Through conditional knockout of the G-protein Gαi2 and deletion of other key sensory transduction molecules (Trpc2 and a cluster of 16 vomeronasal type 1 receptors), in combination with behavioral testing, subcellular Ca²⁺ imaging, and pS6 and c-Fos neuronal activity mapping in freely behaving mice, we show that the Gαi2⁺ vomeronasal subsystem is required for the detection and avoidance of LPS-treated mice. The active components underlying this avoidance are contained in urine whereas feces extract and two selected bile acids, although detected in a Gαi2-dependent manner, failed to evoke avoidance behavior. Our analyses of dendritic Ca²⁺ responses in vomeronasal sensory neurons provide insight into the discrimination capabilities of these neurons for urine fractions from LPS-treated mice, and how this discrimination depends on Gαi2. We observed Gαi2-dependent stimulation of multiple brain areas including medial amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, and periaqueductal grey. We also identified the lateral habenula, a brain region implicated in negative reward prediction in aversive learning, as a previously unknown target involved in these tasks.

CONCLUSIONS

Our physiological and behavioral analyses indicate that the sensing and avoidance of LPS-treated sick conspecifics depend on the Gαi2 vomeronasal subsystem. Our observations point to a central role of brain circuits downstream of the olfactory periphery and in the lateral habenula in the detection and avoidance of sick conspecifics, providing new insights into the neural substrates and circuit logic of the sensing of inflammation in mice.

[Touch, a crucial sense in social interactions to improve homeostasis in aging and promote healthy longevity]

Aging is associated with the generalized deterioration of the organism, being of great relevance experienced by homeostatic systems such as the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems, which increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Among the lifestyle strategies that have been researched to improve these systems and achieve greater healthy longevity, this review will focus on the social environment. In order to verify the effectiveness of these both in the improvement of homeostasis and in life expectancy, the research carried out with experimental animals that have allowed this to be done will be discussed. In addition, as it has been observed that physical contact is crucial for the positive outcomes of social interaction on homeostatic systems and longevity to occur, we will focus on that mechanism, as well as some of the possible molecular pathways underlying the effects found.

Sex differences in appetitive and reactive aggression

Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved, adaptive component of social behavior. Studies in male mice illustrate that aggression is influenced by numerous factors including the degree to which an individual finds aggression rewarding and will work for access to attack and subordinate mice. While such studies have expanded our understanding of the molecular and circuit mechanisms of male aggression very little is known about female aggression, within these established contexts. Here we use an ethologically relevant model of male vs. female aggression by pair housing adult male and female outbred CFW mice with opposite sex cage mates. We assess reactive (defensive) aggression in the resident intruder (RI) test and appetitive (rewarding) aggression in the aggression conditioned place preference (CPP) and operant self-administration (SA) tests. Our results show dramatic sex differences in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of reactive vs. appetitive aggression. Males exhibit more wrestling and less investigative behavior during RI, find aggression rewarding, and will work for access to a subordinate to attack. Females exhibit more bites, alternate between aggressive behaviors and investigative behaviors more readily during RI, however, they do not find aggression to be rewarding or reinforcing. These results establish sex differences in aggression in mice, providing an important resource for the field to better understand the circuit and molecular mechanisms of aggression in both sexes.

Contrasting central and systemic effects of arginine-vasopressin on urinary marking behavior as a social signal in male mice

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a neurohypophyseal peptide that plays a critical role in the regulation of social behavior in mammals. Neuronal AVP regulates male-specific social signaling processes, such as exocrine urinary scent deposition and marking behavior in mice. In the periphery, AVP is transported to the portal bloodstream and acts as an antidiuretic hormone. These AVP dynamics imply that the central role of AVP in the stimulation of urinary marking is dissociated with the peripheral role of AVP in the retention of osmotic conditions. Using male BALB/c mice as subjects, peripheral injection of AVP decreased urinary marking and urination. In contrast, a central infusion of AVP facilitated urinary marking with no effect on urination, while an antagonist of the AVP 1a receptor inhibited marking. Centrally AVP-injected mice also exhibited typical behaviors, such as hiccough/sneeze-like reactions and flash scratching, particularly when confronted with a stimulus mouse through a wire mesh screen. Significant expression of these typical reactions in these mice resulted in the disruption of marking deposition. Further analysis of AVP synthesis illustrated that AVP levels increased in the midbrain but not in the circulation immediately after the test, particularly when confronted with a stimulus mouse. The central AVP regulates urinary marking and other typical behaviors in a dose- and situation-dependent manner. The sequential process implies that centrally synthesized AVP may be secreted into the circulation following immediate neuronal processes, and then peripheral AVP acts as an antidiuretic hormone on urinary marking behavior.

Exocrine scent marking: Coordinative role of arginine vasopressin in the systemic regulation of social signaling behaviors

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neurohypophysial hormone that coordinatively regulates central socio-emotional behavior and peripheral control of antidiuretic fluid homeostasis. Most mammals, including rodents, utilize exocrine or urine-contained scent marking as a social signaling tool that facilitates social adaptation. The exocrine scent marking behavior is postulated to fine-tune sensory and cognitive abilities to recognize key social features via exocrine/urinary olfactory cues and subsequently control exocrine deposition or urinary marking through the mediation of osmotic fluid balance. AVP is implicated as a major player in controlling both recognition and signaling responses. This review provides constructive hypotheses on the coordinative processes of the AVP neurohypophysial circuits in the systemic regulations of fluid control and social-communicative behavior, via the expression of exocrine scent marking, and further emphasizes a potential role of AVP in a common mechanism underlying social communication in rodents.

Prenatal and adolescent alcohol exposure programs immunity across the lifespan: CNS-mediated regulation

For many individuals, first exposure to alcohol occurs either prenatally due to maternal drinking, or during adolescence, when alcohol consumption is most likely to be initiated. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) and its associated Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in humans is associated with earlier initiation of alcohol use and increased rates of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Initiation of alcohol use and misuse in early adolescence correlates highly with later AUD diagnosis as well. Thus, PAE and adolescent binge drinking set the stage for long-term health consequences due to adverse effects of alcohol on subsequent immune function, effects that may persist across the lifespan. The overarching goal of this review, therefore, is to determine the extent to which early developmental exposure to alcohol produces long-lasting, and potentially life-long, changes in immunological function. Alcohol affects the whole body, yet most studies are narrowly focused on individual features of immune function, largely ignoring the systems-level interactions required for effective host defense. We therefore emphasize the crucial role of the Central Nervous System (CNS) in orchestrating host defense processes. We argue that alcohol-mediated disruption of host immunity can occur through both (a) direct action of ethanol on neuroimmune processes, that subsequently disrupt peripheral immune function (top down); and (b) indirect action of ethanol on peripheral immune organs/cells, which in turn elicit consequent changes in CNS neuroimmune function (bottom up). Recognizing that alcohol consumption across the entire body, we argue in favor of integrative, whole-organism approaches toward understanding alcohol effects on immune function, and highlight the need for more work specifically examining long-lasting effects of early developmental exposure to alcohol (prenatal and adolescent periods) on host immunity.

Social factors and the neurobiology of pathogen avoidance

Although the evolutionary causes and consequences of pathogen avoidance have been gaining increasing interest, there has been less attention paid to the proximate neurobiological mechanisms. Animals gauge the infection status of conspecifics and the threat they represent on the basis of various sensory and social cues. Here, we consider the neurobiology of pathogen detection and avoidance from a cognitive, motivational and affective state (disgust) perspective, focusing on the mechanisms associated with activating and directing parasite/pathogen avoidance. Drawing upon studies with laboratory rodents, we briefly discuss aspects of (i) olfactory-mediated recognition and avoidance of infected conspecifics; (ii) relationships between pathogen avoidance and various social factors (e.g. social vigilance, social distancing (approach/avoidance), social salience and social reward); (iii) the roles of various brain regions (in particular the amygdala and insular cortex) and neuromodulators (neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, steroidal hormones and immune components) in the regulation of pathogen avoidance. We propose that understanding the proximate neurobiological mechanisms can provide insights into the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the non-consumptive effects of pathogens and how, when and why females and males engage in pathogen avoidance.

Insular cortex modulates social avoidance of sick rats

Avoidance of sick individuals is vital to the preservation of one's health and preventing transmission of communicable diseases. To do this successfully, one must identify social cues for sickness, which include sickness behaviors and chemosignals, and use this information to orchestrate social interactions. While many social species are highly capable with this process, the neural mechanisms that provide for social responses to sick individuals are only partially understood. To this end, we used a task in which experimental rats were allowed to investigate two conspecifics, one healthy and one sick. To imitate sickness, one conspecific received the viral mimic Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and the other saline. In a 5-minute social preference test, experimental male and female adult rats avoided Poly I:C treated adult conspecifics but did not adjust social interaction in response to Poly I:C treated juvenile conspecifics. Seeking a neural locus of this behavior, we inhibited the insular cortex, a region necessary for social behaviors directed toward conspecifics in distress. Insular cortex inactivation via administration of the GABAA agonist muscimol to experimental rats prior to social preference tests eliminated the preference to avoid sick adult conspecifics. These results suggest that some aspect of conspecific illness may be encoded in the insular cortex which is anatomically positioned to coordinate a situationally appropriate social response.

Modification of the Peripheral Olfactory System by Electronic Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are used by millions of adolescents and adults worldwide. Commercial e-liquids typically contain flavorants, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin with or without nicotine. These chemical constituents are detected and evaluated by chemosensory systems to guide and modulate vaping behavior and product choices of e-cig users. The flavorants in e-liquids are marketing tools. They evoke sensory percepts of appealing flavors through activation of chemical sensory systems to promote the initiation and sustained use of e-cigs. The vast majority of flavorants in e-liquids are volatile odorants, and as such, the olfactory system plays a dominant role in perceiving these molecules that enter the nasal cavity either orthonasally or retronasally during vaping. In addition to flavorants, e-cig aerosol contains a variety of by-products generated through heating the e-liquids, including odorous irritants, toxicants, and heavy metals. These harmful substances can directly and adversely impact the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). In this article, we first discuss the olfactory contribution to e-cig flavor perception. We then provide information on MOE cell types and their major functions in olfaction and epithelial maintenance. Olfactory detection of flavorants, nicotine, and odorous irritants and toxicants are also discussed. Finally, we discuss the cumulated data on modification of the MOE by flavorant exposure and toxicological impacts of formaldehyde, acrolein, and heavy metals. Together, the information presented in this overview may provide insight into how e-cig exposure may modify the olfactory system and adversely impact human health through the alteration of the chemosensory factor driving e-cig use behavior and product selections. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:2621-2644, 2021.

Emerging roles for microglia and microbiota in the development of social circuits

Social withdrawal is a core component of the behavioral response to infection. This fact points to a deep evolutionary and biologic relationship between the immune system and the social brain. Indeed, a large body of literature supports such an intimate connection. In particular, immune activation during the perinatal period has been shown to have long-lasting consequences for social behavior, but the neuroimmune mechanisms by which this occurs are only partially understood. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, influence the formation of neural circuits by phagocytosing synaptic and cellular elements, as well as by releasing chemokines and cytokines. Intriguingly, microbiota, especially those that reside within the gut, may also influence brain development via the release of metabolites that travel to the brain, by influencing vagal nerve signaling, or by modulating the host immune system. Here, I will review the work suggesting important roles for microglia and microbiota in social circuit formation during development. I will then highlight avenues for future work in this area, as well as technological advances that extend our capacity to ask mechanistic questions about the relationships between microglia, microbiota, and the social brain.

Implication of the social function of excessive self-grooming behavior in BTBR T+ltpr3tf/J mice as an idiopathic model of autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by two core behavioral characteristics, namely, restricted repetitive behaviors and impaired social-communicative functioning. BTBR T⁺ltpr3^tf/J (BTBR) mice provide a valuable animal model for ASD to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these two behavioral characteristics of ASD. This study examined the social function of excessive grooming behavior in BTBR mice as a phenotype of restricted repetitive behaviors. Compared to the control C57BL/6 J (B6) strain, BTBR mice showed increased self-grooming when placed alone in a test apparatus, and this behavior was even more evident when confronted with a stimulus mouse (either B6 or BTBR) in a three-chamber test apparatus. While B6 mice tended to groom their face/snout region on the empty side of the chamber, BTBR mice showed excessive grooming with frequent transitions among grooming body regions on the side of the chamber containing a social stimulus. Acute systemic injection of buspirone,a serotonin 1A receptor agonist, as an anxiolytic, facilitated approach behavior toward social stimuli in the three-chamber setting in both B6 and BTBR mice. However, this treatment did not affect grooming behavior in B6 mice and significantly enhanced self-grooming in BTBR mice. These behaviors in BTBR mice suggest a potential signaling function of grooming in response to social stimuli, in which bodywide grooming of BTBR mice expressed in the proximity of social opponents may stimulate the release of olfactory (possibly dismissive) signals. Consequently, the putative neural mechanisms underlying excessive grooming may differ from those regulating social approaches that are associated with anxiolytic mechanisms.

Microorganisms Associated with Mosquito Oviposition Sites: Implications for Habitat Selection and Insect Life Histories

Mosquitoes are considered one of the most important threats worldwide due to their ability to vector pathogens. They are responsible for the transmission of major pathogens such as malaria, dengue, zika, or chikungunya. Due to the lack of treatments or prophylaxis against many of the transmitted pathogens and an increasing prevalence of mosquito resistance to insecticides and drugs available, alternative strategies are now being explored. Some of these involve the use of microorganisms as promising agent to limit the fitness of mosquitoes, attract or repel them, and decrease the replication and transmission of pathogenic agents. In recent years, the importance of microorganisms colonizing the habitat of mosquitoes has particularly been investigated since they appeared to play major roles in their development and diseases transmission. In this issue, we will synthesize researches investigating how microorganisms present within water habitats may influence breeding site selection and oviposition strategies of gravid mosquito females. We will also highlight the impact of such microbes on the fate of females' progeny during their immature stages with a specific focus on egg hatching, development rate, and larvae or pupae survival.

Differing Alterations of Odor Volatiles Among Pathogenic Stimuli

Alterations of the volatile metabolome (the collection of volatiles present in secretions and other emanations) that occur in response to inflammation can be detected by conspecifics and chemometric analyses. Using a model system where mouse urinary metabolites are altered by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (found in the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria), we hypothesized that alteration of body odor volatiles will vary according to the pathogen responsible for inducing the inflammation. We tested this hypothesis by treating mice with different immunogens that engage different immune signaling pathways. Results suggest that alterations of body odor volatiles resulting from inflammation do contain detailed information about the type of pathogen that instigated the inflammation and these differences are not merely dependent on the severity of the inflammatory event. These results are encouraging for the future of differential medical diagnosis of febrile diseases by analysis of the volatile metabolome. In particular, our data support the possibility that bacterial infections can be differentiated from viral infections such that antibiotic drug stewardship could be drastically improved by reducing unneeded treatments with antibiotics.

Host Genetic Diversity and Infectious Diseases. Focus on Wild Boar, Red Deer and Tuberculosis

Host genetic diversity tends to limit disease spread in nature and buffers populations against epidemics. Genetic diversity in wildlife is expected to receive increasing attention in contexts related to disease transmission and human health. Ungulates such as wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are important zoonotic hosts that can be precursors to disease emergence and spread in humans. Tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease with relevant consequences and can present high prevalence in wild boar and red deer populations. Here, we review studies on the genetic diversity of ungulates and determine to what extent these studies consider its importance on the spread of disease. This assessment also focused on wild boar, red deer, and tuberculosis. We found a disconnection between studies treating genetic diversity and those dealing with infectious diseases. Contrarily, genetic diversity studies in ungulates are mainly concerned with conservation. Despite the existing disconnection between studies on genetic diversity and studies on disease emergence and spread, the knowledge gathered in each discipline can be applied to the other. The bidirectional applications are illustrated in wild boar and red deer populations from Spain, where TB is an important threat for wildlife, livestock, and humans.

The olfactory system: the remote-sensing arm of the immune system

Odors may be pleasant or unpleasant and in practice, pleasant odors are attractive while unpleasant odors are repellent. However, an odor that is noxious to one species may be attractive to another. Plants, predators, and pathogens may enhance their transmission by manipulating these signals. This may be especially significant when odors attract arthropod disease vectors. Odor detection may also be important in small prey species for evasion of macropredators such as large carnivores. Conversely, pleasant odors may identify family members, parents, or sexual partners. They may also generate signals of good health or fitness and contribute to the process of mate selection. In this review, we seek to integrate these odor-driven processes into a coherent pattern of behaviors that serve to complement the innate and adaptive immune systems. It may be considered the 'behavioral immune system'.

Differential effects of progesterone on social recognition and the avoidance of pathogen threat by female mice

Although pathogen threat affects social and sexual responses across species, relatively little is known about the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. Progesterone has been speculated to be involved in the mediation of pathogen disgust in women, though with mixed experimental support. Here we considered the effects of acute progesterone on the disgust-like avoidance responses of female mice to pathogen threat. Estrous female mice discriminated and avoided the urinary and associated odors of males subclinically infected with the murine nematode parasite, Heligmosomoides polygyrus. These avoidance responses were not significantly affected by pre-treatment with progesterone. Likewise, brief (1 min) exposure to the odors of infected males attenuated the subsequent responses of females to the odors of the normally preferred unfamiliar males and enhanced their preferences for familiar males. Neither progesterone nor allopregnanolone, a central neurosteroid metabolite of progesterone, had any significant effects on the avoidance of unfamiliar males elicited by pre-exposure to a parasitized male. Progesterone and allopregnanolone, did, however, significantly attenuate the typical preferences of estrous females for unfamiliar uninfected males, suggestive of effects on social recognition. These findings with mice indicate that progesterone may have minimal effects on the responses to specific parasite threat and the expression of pathogen disgust but may influence more general social recognition and preferences.

Sickness and the Social Brain: Love in the Time of COVID

As a highly social species, inclusion in social networks and the presence of strong social bonds are critical to our health and well-being. Indeed, impaired social functioning is a component of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, our social networks are at risk of fracture and many are vulnerable to the negative consequences of social isolation. Importantly, infection itself leads to changes in social behavior as a component of "sickness behavior." Furthermore, as in the case of COVID-19, males and females often differ in their immunological response to infection, and, therefore, in their susceptibility to negative outcomes. In this review, we discuss the many ways in which infection changes social behavior-sometimes to the benefit of the host, and in some instances for the sake of the pathogen-in species ranging from eusocial insects to humans. We also explore the neuroimmune mechanisms by which these changes in social behavior occur. Finally, we touch upon the ways in which the social environment (group living, social isolation, etc.) shapes the immune system and its ability to respond to challenge. Throughout we emphasize how males and females differ in their response to immune activation, both behaviorally and physiologically.

Pathogens, odors, and disgust in rodents

All animals are under the constant threat of attack by parasites. The mere presence of parasite threat can alter behavior before infection takes place. These effects involve pathogen disgust, an evolutionarily conserved affective/emotional system that functions to detect cues associated with parasites and infection and facilitate avoidance behaviors. Animals gauge the infection status of conspecific and the salience of the threat they represent on the basis of various sensory cues. Odors in particular are a major source of social information about conspecifics and the infection threat they present. Here we briefly consider the origins, expression, and regulation of the fundamental features of odor mediated pathogen disgust in rodents. We briefly review aspects of: (1) the expression of affective states and emotions and in particular, disgust, in rodents; (2) olfactory mediated recognition and avoidance of potentially infected conspecifics and the impact of pathogen disgust and its' fundamental features on behavior; (3) pathogen disgust associated trade-offs; (4) the neurobiological mechanisms, and in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin, and steroidal hormones, in the expression of pathogen disgust and the regulation of avoidance behaviors and concomitant trade-offs. Understanding the roles of pathogen disgust in rodents can provide insights into the regulation and expression of responses to pathogens and infection in humans.

From Multisensory Assessment to Functional Interpretation of Social Behavioral Phenotype in Transgenic Mouse Models for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common heterogeneous disorder, defined solely by the core behavioral characteristics, including impaired social interaction and restricted and repeated behavior. Although an increasing number of studies have been performed extensively, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the core symptoms of ASD remain largely unknown. Transgenic mouse models provide a useful tool for evaluating genetic and neuronal mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, which are prerequisites for validating behavioral phenotypes that mimic the core symptoms of human ASD. The purpose of this review is to propose a better strategy for analyzing and interpreting social investigatory behaviors in transgenic mouse models of ASD. Mice are nocturnal, and employ multimodal processing mechanisms for social communicative behaviors, including those that involve olfactory and tactile senses. Most behavioral paradigms that have been developed for measuring a particular ASD-like behavior in mouse models, such as social recognition, preference, and discrimination tests, are based on the evaluation of distance-based investigatory behavior in response to social stimuli. This investigatory behavior in mice is regulated by multimodal processing involving with two different motives: first, an olfactory-based novelty assessment, and second, tactile-based social contact, in a temporally sequential manner. Accurate interpretation of investigatory behavior exhibited by test mice can be achieved by functional analysis of these multimodal, sequential behaviors, which will lead to a better understanding of the specific features of social deficits associated with ASD in transgenic mouse models, at high temporal and spatial resolutions.

Mutual mate choice and its benefits for both sexes

In mating interactions, it is common in nature for both sexes to choose simultaneously. However, this mutual mate choice and its consequences for progeny has received relatively little study; an approach where both male and female condition is manipulated is thus desirable. We compared both sexes' preferences in Tenebrio molitor beetles when individual condition varied (healthy vs infected with a fungus), and observed the direct benefits of those preferences. We predicted that: (a) females and males in good condition would prefer high quality mates; (b) preferences would be weaker when the choosing individual is in poor condition (and thus less selective given, for example, time and energetic constrains); and, (c) high quality mates would lay a larger number of total eggs and/or viable eggs than low quality mates. We found that both males and females in good condition were not more likely to choose mates that were also in good condition. However, poor-condition animals were more likely to prefer similar quality animals, while high-condition animals did not necessarily prefer mates of similar condition. Choosing sick males or females had a negative impact on egg number and viability. Our results suggest a non-adaptive mate choice in this species. Possibly, a deteriorated condition may drive individuals to invest more in attracting mates, because their chances of surviving the infection are very low. However, we do not discount the possibility that the fungus is manipulating individuals to increase its transmission during mating.

Somatosensorimotor and Odor Modification, Along with Serotonergic Processes Underlying the Social Deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J and BALB/cJ Mouse Models of Autism

Autism is a complex spectrum of disorders characterized by core behavioral deficits in social communicative behavior, which are also required for comprehensive analysis of preclinical mouse models. As animal models of the core behavioral deficits in autism, two inbred mouse strains, BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and BALB/cJ (BALB), were compared with the standard social strain, C57BL/6J (B6), regarding a variety of behavioral factors underlying social communicative interactions, including olfactory and tactile sensory processes, social recognition abilities and behavioral expression strategies. Although both female BTBR and BALB mice can express social recognition and approach behavior depending on the stimuli they encounter, the available sensory modalities, along with modulation of the serotonergic system, differ between the two strains. BALB mice have deficits in using volatile olfactory cues and tactile information in a social context; they fail to exhibit a social approach to volatile cues and seek nonvolatile cues by exhibiting substantial sniff/contact behavior when allowed direct contact with social opponents. Systemic injection of the serotonin (5-HT1A) agonist buspirone has little effect on these social deficits, suggesting a congenitally degraded serotonergic system in BALB mice. In contrast, BTBR mice exhibit impaired body coordination and social motivation-modified olfactory signals, which are relevant to a reduced social approach. A systemic injection of the 5-HT1A agonist restored these social deficits in BTBR mice, indicating that a downregulated serotonergic system is involved in the social deficits exhibited by BTBR mice.

Characterization of fever and sickness behavior regulated by cytokines during infection

In response to invasion of pathogens, hosts present fever and a series of behavioural changes including reduced grooming, reduction of foraging, decreased locomotion, withdrawing from social activities and reproductive process, which are collectively termed sickness behaviour. Fever as well as sickness behaviour are adaptive and benefit the host to reduce pathology caused by infections and opportunity costs for time away from foraging, reproduction and predator avoidance. Antipathogenic fever and sickness behaviour are mediated proximately by cytokines including pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Pro-inflammation cytokines trigger these sickness responses, while anti-inflammatory cytokines constrain these responses and prevent damage to host from exaggerated responses. The present study reviews the characterization of fever and sickness behaviour regulated by cytokines during infection.

What people believe about detecting infectious disease using the senses

Do you believe you can tell if people are sick with infectious diseases by looking at, listening to, or smelling them? Research on pathogen detection and avoidance suggests that perceivers respond with caution both to true signs of infection and to cues only heuristically associated with infection threat. But what do perceivers actually believe about the effectiveness and use of specific sensory modalities for infection detection? In several studies, U.S. participants reported perceptions of effectiveness and likelihood of using each of the major senses to identify infection threat in two types of targets: people and food. Results revealed prioritization of sight and sound with person targets and prioritization of sight and smell with food targets. These patterns appear consistent with the use of "safe senses" (avoidance of cues involving high perceived transmission risk). Beliefs about sensory use also varied depending on the specific feature being examined, with different patterns of sensory beliefs associated with evaluation of pathogenic danger than with evaluation of desirability and fit with normative standards. We discuss these lay beliefs in the context of recent calls for descriptive research in psychology as well as their implications for current and future work on the behavioral immune system.

Gene expression profiling reveals a lingering effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on inflammatory-related genes during adolescence and adulthood

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) exerts devastating effects on the Central Nervous System (CNS), which vary as a function of both ethanol load and gestational age of exposure. A growing body of evidence suggests that alcohol exposure profoundly impacts a wide range of cytokines and other inflammation-related genes in the CNS. The olfactory system serves as a critical interface between infectious/inflammatory signals and other aspects of CNS function, and demonstrates long-lasting plasticity in response to alcohol exposure. We therefore utilized transcriptome profiling to identify gene expression patterns for immune-related gene families in the olfactory bulb of Long Evans rats. Pregnant dams received either an ad libitum liquid diet containing 35% daily calories from ethanol (ET), a pair-fed diet (PF) matched for caloric content, or free choice (FCL) access to the liquid diet and water from Gestational Day (GD) 11-20. Offspring were fostered to dams fed the FCL diet, weaned on P21, and then housed with same-sex littermates until mid-adolescence (P40) or young adulthood (P90). At the target ages of P40 or P90, offspring were euthanized via brief CO₂ exposure and brains/blood were collected. Gene expression analysis was performed using a Rat Gene 1.0 ST Array (Affymetrix), and preliminary analyses focused on two moderately overlapping gene clusters, including all immune-related genes and those related to neuroinflammation. A total of 146 genes were significantly affected by prenatal Diet condition, whereas the factor of Age (P40 vs P90) revealed 998 genes significantly changed, and the interaction between Diet and Age yielded 162 significant genes. From this dataset, we applied a threshold of 1.3-fold change (30% increase or decrease in expression) for inclusion in later analyses. Findings indicated that in adolescents, few genes were altered by PAE, whereas adults displayed an increase of a wide range of gene upregulation as a result of PAE. Pathway analysis predicted an increase in Nf-κB activation in adolescence and a decrease in adulthood due to prenatal ethanol exposure, indicating age-specific and long-lasting alterations to immune signaling. These data may provide important insight into the relationship between immune-related signaling cascades and long-term changes in olfactory bulb function after PAE.

The scent of emotions: A systematic review of human intra- and interspecific chemical communication of emotions

OBJECTIVE

The sense of olfaction has been considered of minor importance in human communication. In recent years, evidence has emerged that humans might be influenced by unconscious messages sent through chemosignals in body odors. Data concerning the ability of humans to recognize fear, maybe related to the evolutionary role of these emotions in the fight-or-flight reactions, are well known.

METHODS

To further understand the role of emotional chemosignals in mediating communication in humans and its influence on animal behaviors, we conducted a systematic literature review.

RESULTS

Chemosignals derived from axillary odors collected under a variety of emotional stimuli and sad tears in humans affect receivers' social interactions, danger detection and risk-taking behavior, social aspects of eating, and performance under stressing conditions. In addition, beyond the fight-or-flight response, even the body odors of happiness can be perceived by others. Furthermore, human chemosignals can influence behaviors and stressful responses in animals, particularly dogs and horses, which may partially explain their special relationship with humans.

CONCLUSION

Our review highlights the importance of chemosignaling in human intra- and interspecific interactions and suggests the need for further investigations, both in physiological conditions and in patients with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders.

Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory

Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.

From adolescence to late aging: A comprehensive review of social behavior, alcohol, and neuroinflammation across the lifespan

The passage of time dictates the pace at which humans and other organisms age but falls short of providing a complete portrait of how environmental, lifestyle and underlying biological processes contribute to senescence. Two fundamental features of the human experience that change dramatically across the lifespan include social interactions and, for many, patterns of alcohol consumption. Rodent models show great utility for understanding complex interactions among aging, social behavior and alcohol use and abuse, yet little is known about the neural changes in late aging that contribute to the natural decline in social behavior. Here, we posit that aging-related neuroinflammation contributes to the insipid loss of social motivation across the lifespan, an effect that is exacerbated by patterns of repeated alcohol consumption observed in many individuals. We provide a comprehensive review of (i) neural substrates crucial for the expression of social behavior under non-pathological conditions; (ii) unique developmental/lifespan vulnerabilities that may contribute to the divergent effects of low-and high-dose alcohol exposure; and (iii) aging-associated changes in neuroinflammation that may sit at the intersection between social processes and alcohol exposure. In doing so, we provide an overview of correspondence between lifespan/developmental periods between common rodent models and humans, give careful consideration to model systems used to aptly probe social behavior, identify points of coherence between human and animal models, and point toward a multitude of unresolved issues that should be addressed in future studies. Together, the combination of low-dose and high-dose alcohol effects serve to disrupt the normal development and maintenance of social relationships, which are critical for both healthy aging and quality of life across the lifespan. Thus, a more complete understanding of neural systems-including neuroinflammatory processes-which contribute to alcohol-induced changes in social behavior will provide novel opportunities and targets for promoting healthy aging.

Emotional expressions of the sick face

To handle the substantial threat posed by infectious diseases, behaviors that promote avoidance of contagion are crucial. Based on the fact that sickness depresses mood and that emotional expressions reveal inner states of individuals to others, which in turn affect approach/avoidance behaviors, we hypothesized that facial expressions of emotion may play a role in sickness detection. Using an experimental model of sickness, 22 volunteers were intravenously injected with either endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; 2 ng/kg body weight) and placebo using a randomized cross-over design. The volunteers were two hours later asked to keep a relaxed expression on their face while their facial photograph was taken. To assess the emotional expression of the sick face, 49 participants were recruited and were asked to rate the emotional expression of the facial photographs of the volunteers when sick and when healthy. Our results indicate that the emotional expression of faces changed two hours after being made temporarily sick by an endotoxin injection. Sick faces were perceived as more sick/less healthy, but also as expressing more negative emotions, such as sadness and disgust, and less happiness and surprise. The emotional expressions mediated 59.1% of the treatment-dependent change in rated health. The inclusion of physical features associated with emotional expressions to the mediation analysis supported these results. We conclude that emotional expressions may contribute to detection and avoidance of infectious individuals and thereby be part of a behavioral defense against disease.

Conspecific infection threat rapidly biases the social responses of female mice: Involvement of oxytocin

Pathogen threat affects social preferences and responses across species. Here we examined the effects of social context and the infection status of conspecific females and males on the social and mate responses of female mice. The responses of female mice to males were rapidly affected by the presence of infected female conspecifics and infected males. In mice odor cues drive appetitive and aversive social and mate responses. Brief (1 min) exposure to the fresh urinary odors of females infected with the murine nematode parasite, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, attenuated the responses of other uninfected females to the odors of naturally preferred unfamiliar males and enhanced their preferences for familiar males. Likewise exposure to the odors of a male either infected with H. polygyrus or treated with the bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide, reduced the responses of females to the odors of unfamiliar males. In addition, females displayed an avoidance of, and discrimination against, male mice whose odors had been associated with that of an infected female ("guilt by association") and a preference for the odors associated with an uninfected female ("mate copying"). These shifts in preferences for female associated male odors were attenuated in a dose-related manner by pre-treatment with the oxytocin receptor antagonist, L-368,899. These findings show that social information associated with the infection status of conspecifics can rapidly bias the mate preferences of female mice in an oxytocin receptor dependent manner.

The Inclusive Behavioral Immune System

Although living in social groups offers many advantages, it comes at a cost of increased transmissible disease. The behavioral immune system (BIS) is thought to have evolved as a first line of defense against such infections. It acts by minimizing the contact of yet uninfected hosts with potential pathogens. The BIS has been observed in a wide range of animals including insects, amphibians and mammals, but most research has focused on humans where the BIS is guided by complex cognitive and emotional processing. When researchers discuss the evolutionary origin of the BIS, they assess how it raises individual fitness. What would happen though if we shift our attention to the evolutionary unit of selection – the gene? Success would be measured as the change in the gene’s prevalence in the entire population, and additional behaviors would come to our attention – those that benefit relatives, i.e., behaviors that raise inclusive fitness. One widely-recognized example of the inclusive BIS is social immunity, which is prevalent among eusocial organisms such as bees and ants. Their colonies engage in a collaborative protective behavior such as grooming and the removal of infected members from the nest. Another example may be sickness behavior, which includes the behavioral, cognitive and emotional symptoms that accompany infection, such as fatigue, and loss of appetite and social interest. My colleague and I recently suggested that sickness behavior has evolved because it reduces the direct and indirect contact between an infected host and its healthy kin – improving inclusive fitness. These additional behaviors are not carried out by the healthy individuals, but rather by whole communities in the first case, and by already infected individuals in the second. Since they step beyond the classical definition of BIS, it may be useful to broaden the term to the inclusive behavioral immune system.

The role of social cognition in parasite and pathogen avoidance

The acquisition and use of social information are integral to social behaviour and parasite/pathogen avoidance. This involves social cognition which encompasses mechanisms for acquiring, processing, retaining and acting on social information. Social cognition entails the acquisition of social information about others (i.e. social recognition) and from others (i.e. social learning). Social cognition involves assessing other individuals and their infection status and the pathogen and parasite threat they pose and deciding about when and how to interact with them. Social cognition provides a framework for examining pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours and their associated neurobiological mechanisms. Here, we briefly consider the relationships between social cognition and olfactory-mediated pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours. We briefly discuss aspects of (i) social recognition of actual and potentially infected individuals and the impact of parasite/pathogen threat on mate and social partner choice; (ii) the roles of 'out-groups' (strangers, unfamiliar individuals) and 'in-groups' (familiar individuals) in the expression of parasite/pathogen avoidance behaviours; (iii) individual and social learning, i.e. the utilization of the pathogen recognition and avoidance responses of others; and (iv) the neurobiological mechanisms, in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin and steroid hormones (oestrogens) associated with social cognition and parasite/pathogen avoidance.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.

Sexual responses of male rats to odours from female rats in oestrus are not affected by female germ-free status

Rats detect and use odorant molecules as a source of information about their environment. Some of these molecules come from conspecifics, and many arise as by-products from microbial activity. Thus, compared to conventionally housed rats, germ-free rats are raised in an environment with fewer odorants, but this reduction is rarely quantified. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we found that germ-free rat faeces samples contained half as many volatile molecules than conventional rat faeces (52 vs 109 (±2.4) molecules; P < 0.001) and overall these were only 12% as abundant. We then investigated if odours from female germ-free rats in oestrus would have pro-erectile effects in conventional male rats. For this aim, conventionally housed Brown Norway (BN) rats (n = 16) with sexual experience with either Fischer or BN females, were exposed to four different odour types: faeces from germ-free Fischer rat in oestrus, faeces from conventional rats in oestrus and di-oestrus (either from Fischer or BN), and a control (either 1-hexanol or male rat faeces). The number of penile erections per test as well as the duration of freezing behaviour was significantly higher with the oestrous odours (germ-free and conventional) compared to the control, with intermediate responses to the di-oestrous faeces. The findings indicate that, despite a significantly reduced composition in terms of volatiles compared to conventionally housed rats, the faeces of germ-free rats contain sufficient odorants to evoke sexual responses in conventional male rats. Oestrous odours of rats thus appear not to be of microbial origin.

Sharing an environment with sick conspecifics alters odors of healthy animals

Body odors change with health status and the odors of sick animals can induce avoidance behaviors in healthy conspecifics. Exposure to sickness odors might also alter the physiology of healthy conspecifics and modify the odors they produce. We hypothesized that exposure to odors of sick (but non-infectious) animals would alter the odors of healthy cagemates. To induce sickness, we injected mice with a bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide. We used behavioral odor discrimination assays and analytical chemistry techniques followed by predictive classification modeling to ask about differences in volatile odorants produced by two types of healthy mice: those cohoused with healthy conspecifics and those cohoused with sick conspecifics. Mice trained in Y-maze behavioral assays to discriminate between the odors of healthy versus sick mice also discriminated between the odors of healthy mice cohoused with sick conspecifics and odors of healthy mice cohoused with healthy conspecifics. Chemical analyses paired with statistical modeling revealed a parallel phenomenon. Urine volatiles of healthy mice cohoused with sick partners were more likely to be classified as those of sick rather than healthy mice based on discriminant model predictions. Sickness-related odors could have cascading effects on neuroendocrine or immune responses of healthy conspecifics, and could affect individual behaviors, social dynamics, and pathogen spread.

Costs of injury for scent signalling in a strepsirrhine primate

Honesty is crucial in animal communication when signallers are conveying information about their condition. Condition dependence implies a cost to signal production; yet, evidence of such cost is scarce. We examined the effects of naturally occurring injury on the quality and salience of olfactory signals in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Over a decade, we collected genital secretions from 23 (13 male, 10 female) adults across 34 unique injuries, owing primarily to intra-group fights. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we tested for differences in the chemical composition of secretions across pre-injury, injury and recovery, in animals that did and did not receive antibiotics. Lemur genital secretions were significantly dampened and altered during injury, with patterns of change varying by sex, season and antibiotics. Using behavioural bioassays (excluding odorants from antibiotic-treated animals), we showed that male 'recipients' discriminated injury status based on scent alone, directing more competitive counter marking towards odorants from injured vs. uninjured male 'signallers.' That injured animals could not maintain their normal signatures provides rare evidence of the energetic cost to signal production. That conspecifics detected olfactory-encoded 'weakness' suggests added behavioural costs: By influencing the likelihood of intra- or inter-sexual conflict, condition-dependent signals could have important implications for socio-reproductive behaviour.

Destructive disinfection of infected brood prevents systemic disease spread in ant colonies

In social groups, infections have the potential to spread rapidly and cause disease outbreaks. Here, we show that in a social insect, the ant Lasius neglectus, the negative consequences of fungal infections (Metarhizium brunneum) can be mitigated by employing an efficient multicomponent behaviour, termed destructive disinfection, which prevents further spread of the disease through the colony. Ants specifically target infected pupae during the pathogen's non-contagious incubation period, utilising chemical 'sickness cues' emitted by pupae. They then remove the pupal cocoon, perforate its cuticle and administer antimicrobial poison, which enters the body and prevents pathogen replication from the inside out. Like the immune system of a metazoan body that specifically targets and eliminates infected cells, ants destroy infected brood to stop the pathogen completing its lifecycle, thus protecting the rest of the colony. Hence, in an analogous fashion, the same principles of disease defence apply at different levels of biological organisation.

Oxytocin, social factors, and the expression of conditioned disgust (anticipatory nausea) in male rats

Disgust has been proposed to have evolved as a means to rid the body and mouth of noxious substances and toxins, as well as to motivate and facilitate avoidance of contact with disease-causing organisms and infectious materials. Nonemetic species, such as the rat, show distinctive facial expressions, including the gaping reaction, indicative of nausea-based disgust. These conditioned disgust responses can be used to model anticipatory nausea in humans, which is a learned response observed following chemotherapy treatment. As social factors play a role in the modulation and expression of conditioned disgust responses in rats, and the nonapeptide, oxytocin (OT), is involved in the modulation of social behavior, the present study examined the effects of an OT antagonist, L-368 899, on the development and expression of socially mediated conditioned disgust in male rats. When administered 10 min before testing in a distinct context (different from the original conditioning context), L-368 899 (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased gaping behavior in rats that were conditioned with a social partner. LiCl-treated rats administered L-368 899 before testing also showed decreased social initiations toward their social partner. These findings suggest that OT may play a role in the modulation and expression of socially mediated conditioned disgust in rats.