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Zhou H, Zhu R, Xia Y, Zhang X, Wang Z, Lorimer GH, Ghiladi RA, Bayram H, Wang J. Neuropeptides affecting social behavior in mammals: Oxytocin. Peptides 2024; 177:171223. [PMID: 38626843 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171223] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide consisting of only nine amino acids, is synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Although OXT is best known for its role in lactation and parturition, recent research has shown that it also has a significant impact on social behaviors in mammals. However, a comprehensive review of this topic is still lacking. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the effects of OXT on social behavior in mammals. These effects of OXT from the perspective of five key behavioral dimensions were summarized: parental behavior, anxiety, aggression, attachment, and empathy. To date, researchers have agreed that OXT plays a positive regulatory role in a wide range of social behaviors, but there have been controversially reported results. In this review, we have provided a detailed panorama of the role of OXT in social behavior and, for the first time, delved into the underlying regulatory mechanisms, which may help better understand the multifaceted role of OXT. Levels of OXT in previous human studies were also summarized to provide insights for diagnosis of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhou
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Yuqing Xia
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Xinming Zhang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Zixu Wang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | | | - Reza A Ghiladi
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Hasan Bayram
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Jun Wang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China.
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2
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Menon R, Neumann ID. Detection, processing and reinforcement of social cues: regulation by the oxytocin system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:761-777. [PMID: 37891399 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00759-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Many social behaviours are evolutionarily conserved and are essential for the healthy development of an individual. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is crucial for the fine-tuned regulation of social interactions in mammals. The advent and application of state-of-the-art methodological approaches that allow the activity of neuronal circuits involving OXT to be monitored and functionally manipulated in laboratory mammals have deepened our understanding of the roles of OXT in these behaviours. In this Review, we discuss how OXT promotes the sensory detection and evaluation of social cues, the subsequent approach and display of social behaviour, and the rewarding consequences of social interactions in selected reproductive and non-reproductive social behaviours. Social stressors - such as social isolation, exposure to social defeat or social trauma, and partner loss - are often paralleled by maladaptations of the OXT system, and restoring OXT system functioning can reinstate socio-emotional allostasis. Thus, the OXT system acts as a dynamic mediator of appropriate behavioural adaptations to environmental challenges by enhancing and reinforcing social salience and buffering social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Menon
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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3
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Sarkar A, Wrangham RW. Evolutionary and neuroendocrine foundations of human aggression. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:468-493. [PMID: 37003880 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.02.003] [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: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans present a behavioural paradox: they are peaceful in many circumstances, but they are also violent and kill conspecifics at high rates. We describe a social evolutionary theory to resolve this paradox. The theory interprets human aggression as a combination of low propensities for reactive aggression and coercive behaviour and high propensities for some forms of proactive aggression (especially coalitionary proactive aggression). These tendencies are associated with the evolution of groupishness, self-domestication, and social norms. This human aggression profile is expected to demand substantial plasticity in the evolved biological mechanisms responsible for aggression. We discuss the contributions of various social signalling molecules (testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, vasopressin, serotonin, and dopamine) as the neuroendocrine foundation conferring such plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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4
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Sanson A, Bosch OJ. Dysfunctions of brain oxytocin signaling: Implications for poor mothering. Neuropharmacology 2022; 211:109049. [PMID: 35390436 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Good mothering has profound impact on both the mother's and the young's well-being. Consequently, experiencing inadequate maternal care - or even neglect - in the first stages of life is a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, and even for poor parenting towards the future offspring. Thus, understanding the neurobiological basis of maternal neglect becomes crucial. Along with other neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, oxytocin (OXT) has long been known as one of the main modulators of maternal behavior. In rodents, disruptions of central OXT transmission have been associated with poor maternal responses, like impaired onset of nursing behaviors, and reduced care and defense of the pups. Importantly, such behavioral and molecular deficits can be transmitted through generations, creating a vicious circle of low-quality maternal behavior. Similarly, evidence from human studies shows that OXT signaling is defective in conditions of inadequate mothering and child neglect. On those premises, this review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of animal and human studies linking perturbed OXT transmission to poor maternal behavior. Considering the important fallouts of inadequate maternal responses, we believe that unraveling the alterations in OXT transmission might provide useful insights for a better understanding of maternal neglect and, ultimately, for future intervention approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Sanson
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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5
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Cid-Jofré V, Moreno M, Reyes-Parada M, Renard GM. Role of Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Therapeutic Potential of Agonists and Antagonists. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222112077. [PMID: 34769501 PMCID: PMC8584779 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are hypothalamic neuropeptides classically associated with their regulatory role in reproduction, water homeostasis, and social behaviors. Interestingly, this role has expanded in recent years and has positioned these neuropeptides as therapeutic targets for various neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism, addiction, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. Due to the chemical-physical characteristics of these neuropeptides including short half-life, poor blood-brain barrier penetration, promiscuity for AVP and OT receptors (AVP-R, OT-R), novel ligands have been developed in recent decades. This review summarizes the role of OT and AVP in neuropsychiatric conditions, as well as the findings of different OT-R and AVP-R agonists and antagonists, used both at the preclinical and clinical level. Furthermore, we discuss their possible therapeutic potential for central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeska Cid-Jofré
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (V.C.-J.); (M.M.)
| | - Macarena Moreno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (V.C.-J.); (M.M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Bernardo OHiggins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Miguel Reyes-Parada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (V.C.-J.); (M.M.)
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Providencia 7500912, Chile
- Correspondence: (M.R.-P.); (G.M.R.)
| | - Georgina M. Renard
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile; (V.C.-J.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.R.-P.); (G.M.R.)
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6
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Huang S, Li G, Pan Y, Liu J, Zhao J, Zhang X, Lu W, Wan X, Krebs CJ, Wang Z, Han W, Zhang Z. Population variation alters aggression-associated oxytocin and vasopressin expressions in brains of Brandt's voles in field conditions. Front Zool 2021; 18:56. [PMID: 34717666 PMCID: PMC8557550 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00441-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Density-dependent change in aggressive behavior contributes to the population regulation of many small rodents, but the underlying neurological mechanisms have not been examined in field conditions. We hypothesized that crowding stress and aggression-associated oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in specific regions of the brain may be closely related to aggressive behaviors and population changes of small rodents. We analyzed the association of OT and AVP expression, aggressive behavior, and population density of Brandt’s voles in 24 large semi-natural enclosures (0.48 ha each) in Inner Mongolia grassland. We tested the effects of population density on the OT/AVP system and aggressive behavior by experimentally manipulating populations of Brandt’s voles in the grassland enclosures. High density was positively and significantly associated with more aggressive behavior, and increased expression of mRNA and protein of AVP and its receptor, but decreased expression of mRNA and protein of OT and its receptor in specific brain regions of the voles. Our study suggests that changes in OT/AVP expression are likely a result of the increased psychosocial stress that these voles experience during overcrowding, and thus the OT/AVP system can be used as indicators of density-dependent stressors in Brandt’s voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongliang Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, 313000, China
| | - Jing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jidong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xinrong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-1270, USA
| | - Wenxuan Han
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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7
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Abstract
Oxytocin regulates parturition, lactation, parental nurturing, and many other social behaviors in both sexes. The circuit mechanisms by which oxytocin modulates social behavior are receiving increasing attention. Here, we review recent studies on oxytocin modulation of neural circuit function and social behavior, largely enabled by new methods of monitoring and manipulating oxytocin or oxytocin receptor neurons in vivo. These studies indicate that oxytocin can enhance the salience of social stimuli and increase signal-to-noise ratios by modulating spiking and synaptic plasticity in the context of circuits and networks. We highlight oxytocin effects on social behavior in nontraditional organisms such as prairie voles and discuss opportunities to enhance the utility of these organisms for studying circuit-level modulation of social behaviors. We then discuss recent insights into oxytocin neuron activity during social interactions. We conclude by discussing some of the major questions and opportunities in the field ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Froemke
- Skirball Institute, Neuroscience Institute, and Departments of Otolaryngology and Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; .,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.,Center for Social Neural Networks, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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8
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Popa N, Boyer F, Jaouen F, Belzeaux R, Gascon E. Social Isolation and Enrichment Induce Unique miRNA Signatures in the Prefrontal Cortex and Behavioral Changes in Mice. iScience 2020; 23:101790. [PMID: 33294798 PMCID: PMC7701176 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
An extensive body of evidence supports the notion that exposure to an enriched/impoverished environment alters brain functions via epigenetic changes. However, how specific modifications of social environment modulate brain functions remains poorly understood. To address this issue, we investigate the molecular and behavioral consequences of briefly manipulating social settings in young and middle-aged wild-type mice. We observe that, modifications of the social context, only affect the performance in socially related tasks. Social enrichment increases sociability whereas isolation leads to the opposite effect. Our work also pointed out specific miRNA signatures associated to each social environment. These miRNA alterations are reversible and found selectively in the medial prefrontal cortex. Finally, we show that miRNA modifications linked to social enrichment or isolation might target rather different intracellular pathways. Together, these observations suggest that the prefrontal cortex may be a key brain area integrating social information via the modification of precise miRNA networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Popa
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, UMR7289, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Flora Boyer
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, UMR7289, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Florence Jaouen
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, UMR7289, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
- NeuroBioTools Facility (NeuroVir), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Raoul Belzeaux
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, UMR7289, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Sainte Marguerite Hospital, Pôle de Psychiatrie Universitaire Solaris, Marseille, France
| | - Eduardo Gascon
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, UMR7289, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
- Corresponding author
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Huang S, Li G, Pan Y, Song M, Zhao J, Wan X, Krebs CJ, Wang Z, Han W, Zhang Z. Density-induced social stress alters oxytocin and vasopressin activities in the brain of a small rodent species. Integr Zool 2020; 16:149-159. [PMID: 32652776 PMCID: PMC7891312 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
It is known that social stress could alter oxytocin (OT) and arginine‐vasopressin (AVP) expression in specific regions of brains which regulate the aggressive behavior of small rodents, but the effects of density‐induced social stress are still unknown. Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) are small herbivores in the grassland of China, but the underlying neurological mechanism of population regulation is still unknown. We tested the effects of housing density of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system with physical contact (allowing aggression) and without physical contact (not allowing aggression) under laboratory conditions. Then, we tested the effects of paired‐aggression (no density effect) of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system under laboratory conditions. We hypothesized that high density would increase aggression among animals which would then increase AVP but reduce OT in brains of animals. Our results showed that high housing density induced more aggressive behavior. We found high‐density‐induced social stress (with or without physical contact) and direct aggression significantly increased expression of mRNA and protein of AVP and its receptor, but decreased expression of mRNA and protein of OT and its receptor in specific brain regions of voles. The results suggest that density‐dependent change of OT/AVP systems may play a significant role in the population regulation of small rodents by altering density‐dependent aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongliang Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Mingjing Song
- Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, National Health Commission of China (NHC), Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Peking Union Medicine College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jidong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinrong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Wenxuan Han
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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van den Burg EH, Hegoburu C. Modulation of expression of fear by oxytocin signaling in the central amygdala: From reduction of fear to regulation of defensive behavior style. Neuropharmacology 2020; 173:108130. [PMID: 32389750 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Many studies in preclinical animal models have described fear-reducing effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin in the central nucleus of the amygdala. However, recent studies have refined the role of oxytocin in the central amygdala, which may extend to the selection of an active defensive coping style in the face of immediate threat, and also fear-enhancing effects have been reported. On top of this, oxytocin enables the discrimination of unfamiliar conspecifics on the basis of their emotional state, which could allow for the selection of an appropriate coping style. This is in line with many observations that support the hypothesis that the precise outcome of oxytocin signaling in the central amygdala or other brain regions depends on the emotional or physiological state of an animal. In this review, we highlight a number of studies to exemplify the diverse effects oxytocin exerts on fear in the central amygdala of rodents. These are discussed in the context of the organization of the neural network within the central amygdala and in relation to the oxytocin-synthesizing neurons in the hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin H van den Burg
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Chloé Hegoburu
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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11
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DeAngelis R, Dodd L, Rhodes J. Nonapeptides mediate trade-offs in parental care strategy. Horm Behav 2020; 121:104717. [PMID: 32061617 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parental care represents a suite of distinct behaviors performed by parents to maximize fitness. Dynamic shifts in parental care behaviors, such as between nest defense and direct provisioning of the offspring, are required in response to environmental variation. However, the neural mechanisms which mediate such behavioral shifts remain a mystery. The anemonefish, Amphiprion ocellaris, represents an experimentally valuable model in social neuroscience which is conducive to manipulating the environment while simultaneously measuring parental care. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) signaling are necessary for males to shift between direct egg care and aggressive nest defense in the presence of intruders, Domino damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus). The IT receptor antagonist desGly-NH2-d(CH2)5[D-Tyr2,Thr4]OVT, significantly reduced direct egg care, while at the same time increased levels of aggressive nest defense relative to vehicle. Conversely, blockade of AVT using the antagonist d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP, reduced aggression and tended to increase egg care. Results demonstrate that male anemonefish alter their parental strategy in response to allospecific intruders, and that IT and AVT signaling oppositely regulate parental care displays of aggression versus egg care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross DeAngelis
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America; Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America.
| | - Logan Dodd
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
| | - Justin Rhodes
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America; Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
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12
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Grattan DR, Ladyman SR. Neurophysiological and cognitive changes in pregnancy. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 171:25-55. [PMID: 32736755 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64239-4.00002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy drive a wide range of adaptive changes in the maternal brain. These range from specific neurophysiological changes in the patterns of activity of individual neuronal populations, through to complete modification of circuit characteristics leading to fundamental changes in behavior. From a neurologic perspective, the key hormone changes are those of the sex steroids, estradiol and progesterone, secreted first from the ovary and then from the placenta, the adrenal glucocorticoid cortisol, as well as the anterior pituitary peptide hormone prolactin and its pregnancy-specific homolog placental lactogen. All of these hormones are markedly elevated during pregnancy and cross the blood-brain barrier to exert actions on neuronal populations through receptors expressed in specific regions. Many of the hormone-induced changes are in autonomic or homeostatic systems. For example, patterns of oxytocin and prolactin secretion are dramatically altered to support novel physiological functions. Appetite is increased and feedback responses to metabolic hormones such as leptin and insulin are suppressed to promote a positive energy balance. Fundamental physiological systems such as glucose homeostasis and thermoregulation are modified to optimize conditions for fetal development. In addition to these largely autonomic changes, there are also changes in mood, behavior, and higher processes such as cognition. This chapter summarizes the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and reviews how these changes impact on brain function, drawing on examples from animal research, as well as available information about human pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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13
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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological manipulation of DNA methylation normalizes maternal behavior, DNA methylation, and gene expression in dams with a history of maltreatment. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10253. [PMID: 31311968 PMCID: PMC6635500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of parental care received during development profoundly influences an individual's phenotype, including that of maternal behavior. We previously found that female rats with a history of maltreatment during infancy mistreat their own offspring. One proposed mechanism through which early-life experiences influence behavior is via epigenetic modifications. Indeed, our lab has identified a number of brain epigenetic alterations in female rats with a history of maltreatment. Here we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in aberrant maternal behavior. We administered zebularine, a drug known to alter DNA methylation, to dams exposed during infancy to the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources, and then characterized the quality of their care towards their offspring. First, we replicate that dams with a history of maltreatment mistreat their own offspring. Second, we show that maltreated-dams treated with zebularine exhibit lower levels of adverse care toward their offspring. Third, we show that administration of zebularine in control dams (history of nurturing care) enhances levels of adverse care. Lastly, we show altered methylation and gene expression in maltreated dams normalized by zebularine. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that epigenetic alterations resulting from maltreatment causally relate to behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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14
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Clinical potential of oxytocin in autism spectrum disorder: current issues and future perspectives. Behav Pharmacol 2019; 29:1-12. [PMID: 28857771 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The effects of oxytocin on social cognition and behavior have recently attracted considerable attention. In particular, oxytocin has been proposed as a novel therapeutic for psychiatric disorders with social deficits such as autism spectrum disorders. This review provides a brief overview of behavioral and neural responses to oxytocin manipulations in humans and animal models. Although the differences in findings between human and animal studies should be interpreted carefully, shared behavioral phenotypes have been recognized, such as social bonding, social responses, and recognition and usage of social cues. Previous literature suggests that the neural effects of oxytocin in humans and animals overlap in the prefrontal, limbic, and paralimbic cortices. Oxytocin-induced alterations in these regions may indicate a fundamental basis for how oxytocin modulates social behaviors and facilitate the discovery of new pharmaceutical targets for treating social deficits.
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15
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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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16
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Smiley KO, Ladyman SR, Gustafson P, Grattan DR, Brown RSE. Neuroendocrinology and Adaptive Physiology of Maternal Care. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 43:161-210. [PMID: 31808002 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2019_122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. In mammals, parental care is primarily provided through maternal care, due to obligate pregnancy and lactation constraints, although some species also show paternal and alloparental care. These behaviors are driven by specialized neural circuits that receive sensory, cortical, and hormonal input to generate a coordinated and timely change in behavior, and sustain that behavior through activation of reward pathways. Importantly, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation also act to coordinate a broad range of physiological changes to support the mother and enable her to adapt to the demands of these states. This chapter will review the neural pathways that regulate maternal behavior, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and how these two facets merge together to promote both young-directed maternal responses (including nursing and grooming) and young-related responses (including maternal aggression and other physiological adaptions to support the development of and caring for young). We conclude by examining how experimental animal work has translated into knowledge of human parenting, particularly in regards to maternal mental health issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Papillon Gustafson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosemary S E Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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17
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Palumbo S, Mariotti V, Iofrida C, Pellegrini S. Genes and Aggressive Behavior: Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Individual Susceptibility to Aversive Environments. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:117. [PMID: 29950977 PMCID: PMC6008527 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the study of the relationship between nature and nurture in shaping human behavior has encountered a renewed interest. Behavioral genetics showed that distinct polymorphisms of genes that code for proteins that control neurotransmitter metabolic and synaptic function are associated with individual vulnerability to aversive experiences, such as stressful and traumatic life events, and may result in an increased risk of developing psychopathologies associated with violence. On the other hand, recent studies indicate that experiencing aversive events modulates gene expression by introducing stable changes to DNA without modifying its sequence, a mechanism known as “epigenetics”. For example, experiencing adversities during periods of maximal sensitivity to the environment, such as prenatal life, infancy and early adolescence, may introduce lasting epigenetic marks in genes that affect maturational processes in brain, thus favoring the emergence of dysfunctional behaviors, including exaggerate aggression in adulthood. The present review discusses data from recent research, both in humans and animals, concerning the epigenetic regulation of four genes belonging to the neuroendocrine, serotonergic and oxytocinergic pathways—Nuclear receptor subfamily 3-group C-member 1 (NR3C1), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), solute carrier-family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)—and their role in modulating vulnerability to proactive and reactive aggressive behavior. Behavioral genetics and epigenetics are shedding a new light on the fine interaction between genes and environment, by providing a novel tool to understand the molecular events that underlie aggression. Overall, the findings from these studies carry important implications not only for neuroscience, but also for social sciences, including ethics, philosophy and law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Palumbo
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Veronica Mariotti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Pellegrini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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18
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Genetic variants in oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and childhood physical abuse collaborate to modify the risk of aggression in chinese adolescents. J Affect Disord 2018; 229:105-110. [PMID: 29306689 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that genetic and environmental factors may influence aggression susceptibility. However, the etiology of aggressive behavior remains unknown. Compared to some extensively studied candidate genes of aggression, very little is known about the OXTR gene. The objective of this study was to determine whether OXTR genetic variants were associated with aggression risk and whether these polymorphisms showed interactive effects with childhood maltreatment on aggression in Chinese adolescents. METHODS A total of 996 participants including 488 cases and 488 controls were selected in our study. Aggression, childhood maltreatment were measured by self-reported questionnaire. Buccal cells were collected. Genotyping was performed using SNPscan. Logistic regressions were used to estimate both main effects of OXTR polymorphisms and the interactive effects with childhood maltreatment on aggressive behavior. RESULTS Participants who carried the rs237885 TT genotypes in OXTR had a higher risk of aggression compared to those who carried GG or GT genotypes under the recessive model (OR=1.40, 95% CI, 1.04-1.89) after controlling for potential confounders. In addition, we also found that the polymorphism had a synergic additive interaction with childhood physical abuse on the aggression risk. LIMITATIONS The subjects in the present study were only males, thus our findings and conclusions could not be generalized to females. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides evidence that OXTR genetic variants may contribute to aggression susceptibility. Moreover, this is the first study reporting significant interactive effects of OXTR polymorphism and childhood physical abuse on aggressive behavior in Chinese adolescents.
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19
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Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has a solid reputation as a facilitator of social interactions such as parental and pair bonding, trust, and empathy. The many results supporting a pro-social role of OT have generated the hypothesis that impairments in the endogenous OT system may lead to antisocial behavior, most notably social withdrawal or pathological aggression. If this is indeed the case, administration of exogenous OT could be the "serenic" treatment that psychiatrists have for decades been searching for.In the present review, we list and discuss the evidence for an endogenous "hypo-oxytocinergic state" underlying aggressive and antisocial behavior, derived from both animal and human studies. We furthermore examine the reported effects of synthetic OT administration on aggression in rodents and humans.Although the scientific findings listed in this review support, in broad lines, the link between a down-regulated or impaired OT system activity and increased aggression, the anti-aggressive effects of synthetic OT are less straightforward and require further research. The rather complex picture that emerges adds to the ongoing debate questioning the unidirectional pro-social role of OT, as well as the strength of the effects of intranasal OT administration in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trynke R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
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20
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Shnitko TA, Mace KD, Sullivan KM, Martin WK, Andersen EH, Williams Avram SK, Johns JM, Robinson DL. Use of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to assess phasic dopamine release in rat models of early postpartum maternal behavior and neglect. Behav Pharmacol 2017; 28:648-660. [PMID: 29068793 PMCID: PMC5680131 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Maternal behavior (MB) is a complex response to infant cues, orchestrated by postpartum neurophysiology. Although mesolimbic dopamine contributes toward MB, little is known about real-time dopamine fluctuations during the postpartum period. Thus, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure individual dopamine transients in the nucleus accumbens of early postpartum rats and compared them with dopamine transients in virgins and in postpartum females exposed to cocaine during pregnancy, which is known to disrupt MB. We hypothesized that dopamine transients are normally enhanced postpartum and support MB. In anesthetized rats, electrically evoked dopamine release was larger and clearance was faster in postpartum females than in virgins and gestational cocaine exposure blocked the change in clearance. In awake rats, control mothers showed more dopamine transients than cocaine-exposed mothers during MB. Salient pup-produced stimuli may contribute toward differences in maternal phasic dopamine by evoking dopamine transients; supporting the feasibility of this hypothesis, urine composition (glucose, ketones, and leukocytes) differed between unexposed and cocaine-exposed infants. These data, resulting from the novel application of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to models of MB, support the hypothesis that phasic dopamine signaling is enhanced postpartum. Future studies with additional controls can delineate which aspects of gestational cocaine reduce dopamine clearance and transient frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A. Shnitko
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kyla D. Mace
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kaitlin M. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - W. Kyle Martin
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Josephine M. Johns
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L. Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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21
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Johnson ZV, Young LJ. Oxytocin and vasopressin neural networks: Implications for social behavioral diversity and translational neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:87-98. [PMID: 28434591 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin- and vasopressin-related systems are present in invertebrate and vertebrate bilaterian animals, including humans, and exhibit conserved neuroanatomical and functional properties. In vertebrates, these systems innervate conserved neural networks that regulate social learning and behavior, including conspecific recognition, social attachment, and parental behavior. Individual and species-level variation in central organization of oxytocin and vasopressin systems has been linked to individual and species variation in social learning and behavior. In humans, genetic polymorphisms in the genes encoding oxytocin and vasopressin peptides and/or their respective target receptors have been associated with individual variation in social recognition, social attachment phenotypes, parental behavior, and psychiatric phenotypes such as autism. Here we describe both conserved and variable features of central oxytocin and vasopressin systems in the context of social behavioral diversity, with a particular focus on neural networks that modulate social learning, behavior, and salience of sociosensory stimuli during species-typical social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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22
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Rickenbacher E, Perry RE, Sullivan RM, Moita MA. Freezing suppression by oxytocin in central amygdala allows alternate defensive behaviours and mother-pup interactions. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28606306 PMCID: PMC5469614 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
When animals and their offspring are threatened, parents switch from self-defense to offspring protection. How self-defense is suppressed remains elusive. We postulated that suppression of the self-defense response, freezing, is gated via oxytocin acting in the centro-lateral amygdala (CeL). We found that rat dams conditioned to fear an odor, froze when tested alone, whereas if pups were present, they remained in close contact with them or targeted the threat. Furthermore, blocking oxytocin signaling in the CeL prevented the suppression of maternal freezing. Finally, pups exposed to the odor in the presence of the conditioned dam later froze when re-exposed alone. However, if oxytocin signaling in the dam had been blocked, pups failed to learn. This study provides a functional role for the well-described action of oxytocin in the central amygdala, and demonstrates that self-defense suppression allows for active pup protection and mother-pup interactions crucial for pup threat learning. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24080.001 Animals have many mechanisms to avoid or defend themselves against deadly encounters with predators. However, adult animals frequently put themselves at risk while protecting their more vulnerable offspring from attacks. For example, a killdeerbird with young will fake a broken wing and lead a predator away from its nest. This helps ensure that the parent’s genes live on and contribute to the survival of their species. To do this, the parent must override his or her own defense mechanisms and protect the young instead of themselves. Little is known about the exact mechanisms that allow animals to suppress their own defense mechanisms while protecting their young. Freezing is one tactic that animals will use when they are unable to escape a predator. Previously, studies have shown that the hormone oxytocin, which is produced in the brain, suppresses freezing behavior. Oxytocin plays an important role in birth and breastfeeding, but it is also known to strengthen the bond between individuals, in particular between mother and child. Until now, it was not known whether this hormone also blocks self-defense behaviors in animals protecting their offspring. Now, Rickenbacher et al. show that oxytocin does indeed block freezing behavior, enabling mother rats to protect their offspring in the face of a threatening smell. In the experiments, mother rats were taught to fear the scent of peppermint. Without their young, these rats would freeze whenever they smelled peppermint. Yet, when mother rats with their pups were exposed to the scent, they did not freeze. Instead, they tried to defend their young. Blocking oxytocin in a part of the mothers’ brains called the amygdala, however, caused them to freeze in response to the scent of peppermint, even in the presence of their pups. The experiments show that oxytocin helps mother rats suppress their self-defense mechanisms and is necessary for the mothers to protect their young. Rickenbacher et al. also showed that pups of oxytocin-treated mothers did not learn to freeze in response to the threat. But pups of untreated mothers who defended them, learned to freeze when they were exposed to the scent of peppermint. A next step will be to record neurons that produce oxytocin to better understand how the presence of the pups stimulate its production in their mothers. In addition, it is still unclear how pups learn from their mothers to freeze in response to a threat. One possibility is that the mother produces a molecule that signals danger. Identifying this molecule would be the next step. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24080.002
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosemarie E Perry
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States.,Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States.,Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, United States.,New York University Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, United States.,New York University Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Marta A Moita
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, LIsboa, Portugal
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23
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Albin-Brooks C, Nealer C, Sabihi S, Haim A, Leuner B. The influence of offspring, parity, and oxytocin on cognitive flexibility during the postpartum period. Horm Behav 2017; 89:130-136. [PMID: 28062230 PMCID: PMC5986067 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of profound behavioral change including alterations in cognitive function. This has been most often studied using hippocampal-dependent tasks assessing spatial learning and memory. However, less is known about the cognitive effects of motherhood for tasks that rely on areas other than the hippocampus. We have previously shown that postpartum females perform better on the extradimensional phase of an attentional set shifting task, a measure of cognitive flexibility which is dependent on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The present experiments aimed to extend this work by examining the importance of postpartum stage as well as offspring and parity in driving improved mPFC cognitive function during motherhood. We also examined whether the neuropeptide oxytocin, which plays a role in regulating numerous maternal functions, mediates enhanced cognitive flexibility during motherhood. Our results demonstrate that compared to virgin females, cognitive flexibility is enhanced in mothers regardless of postpartum stage and is not affected by parity since both first (primiparous) and second (biparous) time mothers showed the enhancement. Moreover, we found that improved cognitive flexibility in mothers requires the presence of offspring, as removal of the pups abolished the cognitive enhancement in postpartum females. Lastly, using an oxytocin receptor antagonist, we demonstrate that oxytocin signaling in the mPFC is necessary for the beneficial effects of motherhood on cognitive flexibility. Together, these data provide insights into the temporal, experiential and hormonal factors which regulate mPFC-dependent cognitive function during the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Connor Nealer
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sara Sabihi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Achikam Haim
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Group, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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24
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LoParo D, Johansson A, Walum H, Westberg L, Santtila P, Waldman I. Rigorous tests of gene-environment interactions in a lab study of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), alcohol exposure, and aggression. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171:589-602. [PMID: 26250573 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Naturalistic studies of gene-environment interactions (G X E) have been plagued by several limitations, including difficulty isolating specific environmental risk factors from other correlated aspects of the environment, gene-environment correlation (rGE ), and the use of a single genetic variant to represent the influence of a gene. We present results from 235 Finnish young men in two lab studies of aggression and alcohol challenge that attempt to redress these limitations of the extant G X E literature. Specifically, we use a latent variable modeling approach in an attempt to more fully account for genetic variation across the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and to robustly test its main effects on aggression and its interaction with alcohol exposure. We also modeled aggression as a latent variable comprising various indices, including the average and maximum levels of aggression, the earliest trial on which aggression was expressed, and the proportion of trials on which the minimum and maximum levels of aggression were expressed. The best fitting model for the genetic variation across OXTR included six factors derived from an exploratory factor analysis, roughly corresponding to six haplotype blocks. Aggression levels were higher on trials in which participants were administered alcohol, won, or were provoked. There was a significant main effect of OXTR on aggression across studies after controlling for covariates. The interaction of OXTR and alcohol was also significant across studies, such that OXTR had stronger effects on aggression in the alcohol administration condition. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon LoParo
- Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ada Johansson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Walum
- Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lars Westberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pekka Santtila
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Irwin Waldman
- Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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25
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Antisocial behavior and polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene: findings in two independent samples. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:983-8. [PMID: 26390829 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The quantitative genetic contribution to antisocial behavior is well established, but few, if any, genetic variants are established as risk factors. Emerging evidence suggests that the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may modulate interpersonal aggression. We here investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OXT receptor gene (OXTR) are associated with the expression of antisocial behavior. A discovery sample, including both sexes, was drawn from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS; n=2372), and a sample from the Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (TCHAD; n=1232) was used for replication. Eight SNPs in OXTR, selected on previous associations with social and antisocial behavior, were genotyped in the participants of CATSS. Significant polymorphisms were subsequently genotyped in TCHAD for replication. Participants completed self-assessment questionnaires-Life History of Aggression (LHA; available only in CATSS), and Self-Reported Delinquency (SRD; available in both samples)-designed to capture antisocial behavior as continuous traits. In the discovery sample, the rs7632287 AA genotype was associated with higher frequency of antisocial behavior in boys, and this was then replicated in the second sample. In particular, overt aggression (directly targeting another individual) was strongly associated with this genotype in boys (P=6.2 × 10(-7) in the discovery sample). Meta-analysis of the results for antisocial behavior from both samples yielded P=2.5 × 10(-5). Furthermore, an association between rs4564970 and LHA (P=0.00013) survived correction in the discovery sample, but there was no association with the SRD in the replication sample. We conclude that the rs7632287 and rs4564970 polymorphisms in OXTR may independently influence antisocial behavior in adolescent boys. Further replication of our results will be crucial to understanding how aberrant social behavior arises, and would support the OXT receptor as one potential target in the treatment of aggressive antisocial behavior.
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Dumais KM, Alonso AG, Bredewold R, Veenema AH. Role of the oxytocin system in amygdala subregions in the regulation of social interest in male and female rats. Neuroscience 2016; 330:138-49. [PMID: 27235738 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
We previously found that oxytocin (OT) receptor (OTR) binding density in the medial amygdala (MeA) correlated positively with social interest (i.e., the motivation to investigate a conspecific) in male rats, while OTR binding density in the central amygdala (CeA) correlated negatively with social interest in female rats. Here, we determined the causal involvement of OTR in the MeA and CeA in the sex-specific regulation of social interest in adult rats by injecting an OTR antagonist (5ng/0.5μl/side) or OT (100pg/0.5μl/side) before the social interest test (4-min same-sex juvenile exposure). OTR blockade in the CeA decreased social interest in males but not females, while all other treatments had no behavioral effect. To further explore the sex-specific involvement of the OT system in the CeA in social interest, we used in vivo microdialysis to determine possible sex differences in endogenous OT release in the CeA during social interest. Interestingly, males and females showed similar levels of extracellular OT release at baseline and during social interest, suggesting that factors other than local OT release mediate the sex-specific role of CeA-OTR in social interest. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between CeA-OT release and social investigation time in females. This was further reflected by reduced CeA-OT release during social interest in females that expressed low compared to high social interest. We discuss the possibility that this reduction in OT release may be a consequence, rather than a cause, of exposure to a social stimulus. Overall, our findings show for the first time that extracellular OT release in the CeA is similar between males and females and that OTR in the CeA plays a causal role in the regulation of social interest toward juvenile conspecifics in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Andrea G Alonso
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Remco Bredewold
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 300 McGuinn, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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Keller SM, Roth TL. Environmental influences on the female epigenome and behavior. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2016; 2:dvw007. [PMID: 27746953 PMCID: PMC5065103 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvw007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental factors have long-lasting effects on brain development and behavior. One way experiences are propagated is via epigenetic modifications to the genome. Environmentally-driven epigenetic modifications show incredible brain region- and sex-specificity, and many brain regions affected are ones involved in maternal behavior. In rodent models, females are typically the primary caregiver and thus, any environmental factors that modulate the epigenotype of the mother could have consequences for her current and future offspring. Here we review evidence of the susceptibility of the female epigenome to environmental factors, with a focus on brain regions involved in maternal behavior. Accordingly, implications for interventions that target the mother's epigenome and parenting behavior are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M. Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Tania L. Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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Ne'eman R, Perach-Barzilay N, Fischer-Shofty M, Atias A, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Intranasal administration of oxytocin increases human aggressive behavior. Horm Behav 2016; 80:125-131. [PMID: 26862988 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Considering its role in prosocial behaviors, oxytocin (OT) has been suggested to diminish levels of aggression. Nevertheless, recent findings indicate that oxytocin may have a broader influence on increasing the salience of social stimuli and may therefore, under certain circumstances, increase antisocial behaviors such as aggression. This controversy led to the following speculations: If indeed oxytocin promotes primarily prosocial behavior, administration of OT is expected to diminish levels of aggression. However, if oxytocin mainly acts to increase the salience of social stimuli, it is expected to elevate levels of aggression following provocation. In order to test this assumption we used the Social Orientation Paradigm (SOP), a monetary game played against a fictitious partner that allows measuring three types of responses in the context of provocation: an aggressive response - reducing a point from the fictitious partner, an individualistic response - adding a point to oneself, and a collaborative response - adding half a point to the partner and half a point to oneself. In the current double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject study design, 45 participants completed the SOP task following the administration of oxytocin or placebo. The results indicated that among subjects naïve to the procedure oxytocin increased aggressive responses in comparison with placebo. These results support the saliency hypothesis of oxytocin and suggest that oxytocin plays a complex role in the modulation of human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ne'eman
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel.
| | | | | | - A Atias
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel
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Mooney S, Coen C, Holmes M, Beery A. Region-specific associations between sex, social status, and oxytocin receptor density in the brains of eusocial rodents. Neuroscience 2015; 303:261-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Central oxytocin regulates social familiarity and scent marking behavior that involves amicable odor signals between male mice. Physiol Behav 2015; 146:36-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Revised: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Pagani JH, Williams Avram SK, Cui Z, Song J, Mezey É, Senerth JM, Baumann MH, Young WS. Raphe serotonin neuron-specific oxytocin receptor knockout reduces aggression without affecting anxiety-like behavior in male mice only. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:167-76. [PMID: 25677455 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin and oxytocin influence aggressive and anxiety-like behaviors, though it is unclear how the two may interact. That the oxytocin receptor is expressed in the serotonergic raphe nuclei suggests a mechanism by which the two neurotransmitters may cooperatively influence behavior. We hypothesized that oxytocin acts on raphe neurons to influence serotonergically mediated anxiety-like, aggressive and parental care behaviors. We eliminated expression of the oxytocin receptor in raphe neurons by crossing mice expressing Cre recombinase under control of the serotonin transporter promoter (Slc6a4) with our conditional oxytocin receptor knockout line. The knockout mice generated by this cross are normal across a range of behavioral measures: there are no effects for either sex on locomotion in an open-field, olfactory habituation/dishabituation or, surprisingly, anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated O and plus mazes. There was a profound deficit in male aggression: only one of 11 raphe oxytocin receptor knockouts showed any aggressive behavior, compared to 8 of 11 wildtypes. In contrast, female knockouts displayed no deficits in maternal behavior or aggression. Our results show that oxytocin, via its effects on raphe neurons, is a key regulator of resident-intruder aggression in males but not maternal aggression. Furthermore, this reduction in male aggression is quite different from the effects reported previously after forebrain or total elimination of oxytocin receptors. Finally, we conclude that when constitutively eliminated, oxytocin receptors expressed by serotonin cells do not contribute to baseline anxiety-like behaviors or maternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Pagani
- Section on Neural Gene Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda
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33
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Oxytocin mechanisms of stress response and aggression in a territorial finch. Physiol Behav 2015; 141:154-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Oxytocin microinjected into the central amygdaloid nuclei exerts anti-aggressive effects in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2015; 90:74-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Ramos AC, H Dos Santos A, Silveira KM, Kiss ACI, Mesquita SFP, Gerardin DCC. Maternal treatment with fluoxetine promotes testicular alteration in male rat pups. Reprod Fertil Dev 2015; 28:RD14199. [PMID: 25582582 DOI: 10.1071/rd14199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluoxetine (FLX) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant commonly prescribed during pregnancy and lactation. Pre- and post-partum depression, as well as SSRI treatment during these periods, may change maternal care, interfering with offspring development. Moreover, it is known that SSRIs may alter testes structure and function in offspring. The present study investigated the effects of maternal FLX exposure on maternal behaviour and testes function in offspring. Female Wistar rats were treated with 7.5mgkg-1 FLX or tap water (control group) by gavage from the Day 1 of pregnancy until 21 days after birth (postnatal Day (PND) 21). Maternal behaviour was evaluated and morphofunctional analyses of offspring testes were conducted on PND 21 and 50. There were no significant differences between the FLX-treated and control groups regarding maternal behaviour. Nor did maternal treatment with FLX have any effect on bodyweight gain, anogenital distance, day of preputial separation, testis weight and the gonadosomatic index in male offspring. However, there was a decreased number of Sertoli cells at both PND 21 and 50 in FLX-exposed male offspring. The findings of the present study demonstrate that maternal exposure to FLX can impair testicular function in weanling and pubertal animals.
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Sabihi S, Dong SM, Durosko NE, Leuner B. Oxytocin in the medial prefrontal cortex regulates maternal care, maternal aggression and anxiety during the postpartum period. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:258. [PMID: 25147513 PMCID: PMC4123787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) acts on a widespread network of brain regions to regulate numerous behavioral adaptations during the postpartum period including maternal care, maternal aggression, and anxiety. In the present study, we examined whether this network also includes the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that bilateral infusion of a highly specific oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTR-A) into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC increased anxiety-like behavior in postpartum, but not virgin, females. In addition, OTR blockade in the postpartum mPFC impaired maternal care behaviors and enhanced maternal aggression. Overall, these results suggest that OT in the mPFC modulates maternal care and aggression, as well as anxiety-like behavior, during the postpartum period. Although the relationship among these behaviors is complicated and further investigation is required to refine our understanding of OT actions in the maternal mPFC, these data nonetheless provide new insights into neural circuitry of OT-mediated postpartum behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sabihi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shirley M Dong
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicole E Durosko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
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37
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Evolutionary perspectives on the role of oxytocin in human social behavior, social cognition and psychopathology. Brain Res 2014; 1580:1-7. [PMID: 25091638 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Sandini TM, Udo MS, Reis‐Silva TM, Bernardi MM, Spinosa HDS. Prenatal exposure to integerrimine N‐oxide impaired the maternal care and the physical and behavioral development of offspring rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:53-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thaísa M. Sandini
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological AnalysesFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of São PauloAv. Prof. Dr. Lineu Prestes, 58005508‐000São PauloBrazil
| | - Mariana S.B. Udo
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological AnalysesFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of São PauloAv. Prof. Dr. Lineu Prestes, 58005508‐000São PauloBrazil
| | - Thiago M. Reis‐Silva
- Department of NeuroscienceInstitute of PsychologyUniversity of São PauloAv. Prof. Dr. Melo de Morais, 172105508‐030São PauloBrazil
| | - Maria Martha Bernardi
- Graduate Program of Environmental and Experimental Pathology and Graduate Program DentistryPaulista University, UNIPRua Dr. Bacelar, 121204026‐002São PauloBrazil
| | - Helenice de S. Spinosa
- Department of PathologySchool of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sao PauloAv. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 8705508 270São PauloBrazil
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Bosch OJ. Maternal aggression in rodents: brain oxytocin and vasopressin mediate pup defence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130085. [PMID: 24167315 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The most significant social behaviour of the lactating mother is maternal behaviour, which comprises maternal care and maternal aggression (MA). The latter is a protective behaviour of the mother serving to defend the offspring against a potentially dangerous intruder. The extent to which the mother shows aggressive behaviour depends on extrinsic and intrinsic factors, as we have learned from studies in laboratory rodents. Among the extrinsic factors are the pups' presence and age, as well as the intruders' sex and age. With respect to intrinsic factors, the mothers' innate anxiety and the prosocial brain neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) play important roles. While OXT is well known as a maternal neuropeptide, AVP has only recently been described in this context. The increased activities of these neuropeptides in lactation are the result of remarkable brain adaptations peripartum and are a prerequisite for the mother to become maternal. Consequently, OXT and AVP are significantly involved in mediating the fine-tuned regulation of MA depending on the brain regions. Importantly, both neuropeptides are also modulators of anxiety, which determines the extent of MA. This review provides a detailed overview of the role of OXT and AVP in MA and the link to anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, , Regensburg 93040, Germany
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40
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Williams SK, Johns JM. Prenatal and gestational cocaine exposure: Effects on the oxytocin system and social behavior with implications for addiction. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 119:10-21. [PMID: 23880214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Drug abuse during pregnancy is a major public health concern, with negative consequences throughout development. Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) in rats produces social behavior deficits with corresponding changes in neuroendocrine and monoaminergic signaling. The relevance of parental care in social behavior maturity cannot be ignored, and gestational exposure to cocaine severely disrupts parental care, thus impacting the early environment of the offspring. Oxytocin (Oxt) is critical in regulating social behaviors and central levels are disrupted following acute and chronic cocaine (CC) treatment in postpartum rat dams, coincident with deficits in maternal care. We will discuss studies aimed to determine the relative contribution of PCE and CC-induced deficits in maternal care to social behaviors and Oxt signaling across development. PCE results in decreased social (including parental) behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. PCE is also associated with increased aggression in adults. Rearing by CC-exposed mothers synergistically increases the behavioral effects of PCE. Rearing by CC-exposed mothers, but not PCE, disrupts Oxt levels and mRNA in regions relevant to social behavior, but does not affect receptors in postpartum adult offspring. Preliminary work indicates that PCE/CC rearing has dynamic effects on Oxt levels and receptors in neonatal rat pups, suggesting very early regulation of Oxt signaling. This work highlights how the interactive role of Oxt signaling and behavioral context throughout development can be derailed by drug abuse during pregnancy. The relevance of disrupted Oxt to intergenerational transmission of addiction is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Williams
- Section on Neural Gene Expression, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - J M Johns
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Curriculum of Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 119:49-60. [PMID: 23850525 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin has drawn the attention of scientists for more than a century. The understanding of the function of oxytocin has expanded dramatically over the years from a simple peptide adept at inducing uterine contractions and milk ejection to a complex neuromodulator with a capacity to shape human social behavior. Decades of research have outlined oxytocin's ability to enhance intricate social activities ranging from pair bonding, sexual activity, affiliative preferences, and parental behaviors. The precise neural mechanisms underlying oxytocin's influence on such behaviors have just begun to be understood. Research suggests that oxytocin interacts closely with the neural pathways responsible for processing motivationally relevant stimuli. In particular, oxytocin appears to impact dopaminergic activity within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, which is crucial not only for reward and motivated behavior but also for the expression of affiliative behaviors. Though most of the work performed in this area has been done using animal models, several neuroimaging studies suggest similar relationships may be observed in humans. In order to introduce this topic further, this paper will review the recent evidence that oxytocin may exert some of its social-behavioral effects through its impact on motivational networks.
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Medial amygdala lesions modify aggressive behavior and immediate early gene expression in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons during intermale exposure. Behav Brain Res 2013; 245:42-9. [PMID: 23403283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 01/28/2013] [Accepted: 02/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The medial amygdala and neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (VSP) have been associated aggressive behavior regulation. However, the specific mechanism involved in OXT and VSP modulation in distinct brain regions during hostile intermale aggressive behavior is undetermined. A retrograde tracer mouse model was employed using male C57BL/6 mice injected with rhodamine-conjugated latex microsphere suspensions in the right hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Adult male C57BL/6 mice (aged 14-16 weeks) were subjected to resident-intruder testing using juvenile intruder mice (aged 3 weeks) or adult intruder mice (aged 8 weeks). Following exposure, Fos protein expression was increased in the medial amygdala neurons of resident mice receiving the retrograde tracer. Thus, medial amygdala neurons projecting to or localized in the vicinity of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus showed immediate early gene (IEG) expression following resident-intruder testing that was considered an indirect marker of activation. Additionally, intermale aggression-related behaviors were inhibited or modified by exposure to juvenile or adult intruders, respectively, in mice that underwent medial amygdala lesioning. Furthermore, Fos protein expression in OXT-positive neurons was attenuated. Thus, ablation of medial amygdala neurons prevented immediate early gene expression in OXT- and VSP-positive neurons in the hypothalamus, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and medial preoptic area during intermale exposure. These findings indicate that the medial amygdala likely modulates hostile aggressive behavior associated with immediate early gene expression in OXT and VSP neurons in specific brain areas, which may actually be instrumental in beneficial social interaction-related aggressive responses associated with mating, territorial defense, and offspring protection.
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Nephew BC, Febo M. Effects of cocaine on maternal behavior and neurochemistry. Curr Neuropharmacol 2012; 10:53-63. [PMID: 22942878 PMCID: PMC3286847 DOI: 10.2174/157015912799362760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2010] [Revised: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that involves drug seeking and abuse despite the negative social and health consequences. While the potential effects of cocaine on child development have been extensively studied over the last 30 years, few researchers have focused on the effects of cocaine on maternal behavior, which includes offspring care and maternal aggression towards an unfamiliar individual. In humans, maternal cocaine use can lead to child neglect, abuse, and disrupt the mother-child bond. While it has been argued the developmental effects of maternal cocaine use on children were initially overstated, it is clear that disruptions of typical maternal behavior (i.e. postpartum depression, anxiety disorders) are detrimental to the physical and emotional health of offspring. Cocaine use in mothers is commonly associated with psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety, and it is postulated that many of the negative effects of maternal cocaine use on offspring are mediated through changes in maternal behavior. This review will summarize research on cocaine and maternal behavior in animal and human studies, discuss potential mechanisms, and suggest therapeutic strategies for treating cocaine-affected maternal behavior which may improve the physical and behavioral health of both mother and child. The primary objective is to stimulate future communication, cooperation, and collaboration between researchers who use animals and humans to study cocaine and maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA, USA
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Associations between oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms and self-reported aggressive behavior and anger: Interactions with alcohol consumption. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1546-56. [PMID: 22421562 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2011] [Revised: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has been implicated in the regulation of social as well as aggressive behaviors, and in a recent study we found that the effect of alcohol on aggressive behavior was moderated by the individual's genotype on an oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism (Johansson et al., 2012). In this study we wanted to deepen and expand the analysis by exploring associations between three (rs1488467, rs4564970, rs1042778) OXTR polymorphisms and aggressive behavior, trait anger as well as anger control in a population-based sample of Finnish men and women (N=3577) aged between 18 and 49 years (M=26.45 years, SD=5.02). A specific aim was to investigate if the polymorphisms would show interactive effects with alcohol consumption on aggressive behavior and trait anger, as well as to explore whether these polymorphisms affect differences in anger control between self-reported sober and intoxicated states. The results showed no main effects of the polymorphisms, however, three interactions between the polymorphisms and alcohol consumption were found. The effect of alcohol consumption on aggressive behavior was moderated by the genotype of the individual on the rs4564970 polymorphism, in line with previous results (Johansson et al., 2012). For trait anger, both the rs1488467 and the rs4564970 polymorphisms interacted with alcohol consumption. It appears that the region of the OXTR gene including both the rs4564970 and the rs1488467 polymorphisms may be involved in the regulation of the relationship between alcohol and aggressive behavior as well as between alcohol and the propensity to react to situations with elevated levels of anger.
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Bâ A. Perinatal thiamine deficiency-induced spontaneous abortion and pup-killing responses in rat dams. Nutr Neurosci 2012; 16:69-77. [PMID: 22889588 DOI: 10.1179/1476830512y.0000000032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The current study attempts to determine whether thiamine (B1 vitamin) deficiency and chronic alcohol-related thiamine-deficient (TD) status, disturb maternal behavior towards pups. METHODS During gestation and lactation, Wistar rat dams were exposed to the following treatments: (i) prenatal TD dams; (ii) perinatal TD dams; (iii) postnatal TD dams; (iv) 12% alcohol/water drinking mothers; (v) ad libitum control dams. Pair-feeding treatments controlled malnutrition related to thiamine deficiency; (vi) prenatal pair-fed (PF) dams; (vii) perinatal PF dams; (viii) postnatal PF dams and included also the control of alcohol consummation: (ix) PF saccharose dams. Dams were observed for gestation outcome and for apparent disorders of the maternal behavior related to the pups at parturition. RESULTS From the nine experimental groups studied, only pre- and perinatal TD dams exhibited spontaneous abortion (33.36 and 41.66%, respectively) followed by pups-killing responses where, respectively, 4 dams/7 (57.14%) and 5 dams/7 (71.43%) showed disruption of maternal behavior and appearance of cannibalism towards pups which all were killed within 48 hours after parturition. Spontaneous abortion and pup-killing responses were not observed in the dams of any other experimental group, suggesting that perinatal disturbances of hormonal factors underlay these maternal disorders. DISCUSSION Previous studies reported that thiamine deficiency-induced degeneration of dopamine neurons may be related to mouse-killing aggression in rats. The present study suggests that perinatal thiamine deficiency-induced alteration of dopaminergic neurons in maternal brain could be a trigger factor of pup-killing responses. Central dopamine and oxytocin have been strongly associated with both the onset and maintenance of maternal behavior and the regulation of maternal aggressiveness as well. Our studies suggest that estrogen control oxytocin levels in brain structures of pregnancy-terminated rats via dopamine transmission. Thiamine may modulate cAMP/Ca2+ -dependent estradiol-triggered responses which in turn control dopamine synthesis. Consequently, thiamine deficiency induced perinatally triggers pup-killing responses in pregnancy-terminated rats by the following toxic effects: (i) disturbances of estrogen production and/or release affecting dopamine synthesis; (ii) alterations of dopamine inhibition on central oxytocinergic system-related maternal aggressiveness. Likewise, our results indicate also that perinatal thiamine deficiency alone induces spontaneous abortion, reduces litter size, and lowers birth weight, which together suggest changing in the fetoplacental estrogen receptor alpha/progesterone receptor A ratio during gestation, via autocrine/paracrine regulation disturbances. Those hypotheses should be confirmed by further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdoulaye Bâ
- Université de Cocody, UFR Biosciences, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
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Dhakar MB, Rich ME, Reno EL, Lee HJ, Caldwell HK. Heightened aggressive behavior in mice with lifelong versus postweaning knockout of the oxytocin receptor. Horm Behav 2012; 62:86-92. [PMID: 22609339 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous work implicating the neuropeptide oxytocin (Oxt) in the neural regulation of aggression in males has been limited. However, there are reports of heightened aggression in Oxt knockout and Oxt receptor (Oxtr) knockout male mice when they are born to null mutant mothers; suggesting that intrauterine exposure to Oxt may be important to normal aggression in adulthood. To explore this, we examined aggression in two lines of Oxtr mice, a total knockout (Oxtr-/-), in which the Oxtr gene is absent from the time of conception, and a predominantly forebrain specific knockout (Oxtr FB/FB), in which the Oxtr gene is not excised until approximately 21-28days postnatally. Aggression was measured in males from both lines, as well as control littermates, using a resident-intruder behavioral test. Consistent with previous reports, male Oxtr-/- mice had elevated levels of aggression relative to controls. Oxtr FB/FB mice on the other hand displayed levels of aggression similar to control animals. In addition, following a resident-intruder test, Oxtr+/+ mice that displayed aggression had less c-fos immunoreactivity in the ventral portion of the lateral septum than those that did not. Further, Oxtr-/- mice had increased c-fos immunoreactivity in the medial amygdala relative to controls. These data suggest that Oxt may play an important role during development in the organization of the neural circuits that underlie aggressive behavior in adulthood, with its absence resulting in heightened aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica B Dhakar
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
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Flykt M, Punamäki RL, Belt R, Biringen Z, Salo S, Posa T, Pajulo M. Maternal representations and emotional availability among drug-abusing and nonusing mothers and their infants. Infant Ment Health J 2012; 33:123-138. [DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Bosch OJ, Neumann ID. Both oxytocin and vasopressin are mediators of maternal care and aggression in rodents: from central release to sites of action. Horm Behav 2012; 61:293-303. [PMID: 22100184 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Revised: 10/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian peripartum period, the activity of both the brain oxytocin and vasopressin system is elevated as part of the physiological adaptations occurring in the mother. This is reflected by increased expression and intracerebral release of oxytocin and vasopressin, as well as increased neuropeptide receptor expression and binding. In this review we discuss the functional role of the brain oxytocin and vasopressin system in the context of maternal behavior, specifically maternal care and maternal aggression in rodents. In order to enable the identification of significant and peptide-specific contributions to the display of maternal behavior, various complementary animal models of maternal care and/or maternal aggression were studied, including rats selectively bred for differences in anxiety-related behavior (HAB and LAB dams), monitoring of local neuropeptide release during ongoing maternal behavior, and local pharmacological or genetic manipulations of the neuropeptide systems. The medial preoptic area was identified as a major site for oxytocin- and vasopressin-mediated maternal care. Furthermore, both oxytocin and vasopressin release and receptor activation in the central amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis play an important role for maternal aggression. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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Knobloch H, Charlet A, Hoffmann L, Eliava M, Khrulev S, Cetin A, Osten P, Schwarz M, Seeburg P, Stoop R, Grinevich V. Evoked Axonal Oxytocin Release in the Central Amygdala Attenuates Fear Response. Neuron 2012; 73:553-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 748] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Abstract
Sociability consists of behaviors that bring animals together and those that keep animals apart. Remarkably, while the neural circuitry that regulates these two "faces" of sociability differ from one another, two neurohormones, oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp), have been consistently implicated in the regulation of both. In this chapter the the structure and function of the Oxt and Avp systems, the ways in which affiliative and aggressive behavior are studied and the roles of Oxt and Avp in the regulation of sociability will be briefly reviewed. Finally, work implicating Oxt and Avp in sociability in humans, with a focus on neuropsychiatric disorders will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Caldwell
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Ohio, USA.
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