1
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Inada K. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying oxytocin-mediated parental behavior in rodents. Neurosci Res 2024:S0168-0102(24)00052-X. [PMID: 38642676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Parental behavior is essential for mammalian offspring to survive. Because of this significance, elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms that facilitate parental behavior has received strong interest. Decades of studies utilizing pharmacology and molecular biology have revealed that in addition to its facilitatory effects on parturition and lactation, oxytocin (OT) promotes the expression of parental behavior in rodents. Recent studies have also described the modulation of sensory processing by OT and the interaction of the OT system with other brain regions associated with parental behavior. However, the precise neurobiological mechanisms underlying the facilitation of caregiving behaviors by OT remain unclear. In this Review, I summarize the findings from rats and mice with a view toward integrating past and recent progress. I then review recent advances in the understanding of the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of OT-mediated parental behavior. Based on these observations, I propose a hypothetical model that would explain the mechanisms underlying OT-mediated parental behavior. Finally, I conclude by discussing some major remaining questions and propose potential future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miyamichi K. Neural basis for behavioral plasticity during the parental life-stage transition in mice. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 17:1340497. [PMID: 38298741 PMCID: PMC10829089 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1340497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Parental care plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of mammalian offspring. Although sexually naïve male mice, as well as certain strains of female mice, display aggression toward pups, they exhibit heightened parental caregiving behaviors as they approach the time of anticipating their offspring. In this Mini Review, I provide a concise overview of the current understanding of distinct limbic neural types and their circuits governing both aggressive and caregiving behaviors toward infant mice. Subsequently, I delve into recent advancements in the understanding of the molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms that regulate behavioral plasticity during the transition to parenthood, with a specific focus on the sex steroid hormone estrogen and neural hormone oxytocin. Additionally, I explore potential sex-related differences and highlight some critical unanswered questions that warrant further investigation.
Collapse
|
4
|
Hernández-Arteaga E, Ågmo A. Seminatural environments for rodent behavioral testing: a representative design improving animal welfare and enhancing replicability. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1192213. [PMID: 37424748 PMCID: PMC10323197 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1192213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The low replicability of scientific studies has become an important issue. One possible cause is low representativeness of the experimental design employed. Already in the 1950's, Egon Brunswick pointed out that experimental setups ideally should be based on a random sample of stimuli from the subjects' natural environment or at least include basic features of that environment. Only experimental designs satisfying this criterion, representative designs in Brunswikian terminology, can produce results generalizable beyond the procedure used and to situations outside the laboratory. Such external validity is crucial in preclinical drug studies, for example, and should be important for replicability in general. Popular experimental setups in rodent research on non-human animals, like the tail suspension test or the Geller-Seifter procedure, do not correspond to contexts likely to be encountered in the animals' habitat. Consequently, results obtained in this kind of procedures can be generalized neither to other procedures nor to contexts outside the laboratory. Furthermore, many traditional procedures are incompatible with current notions of animal welfare. An approximation to the natural social and physical context can be provided in the laboratory, in the form of a seminatural environment. In addition to satisfy the basic demands for a representative design, such environments offer a far higher level of animal welfare than the typical small cages. This perspective article will briefly discuss the basic principles of the generalizability of experimental results, the virtues of representative designs and the coincidence of enhanced scientific quality and animal welfare provided by this kind of design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zilkha N, Chuartzman SG, Sofer Y, Pen Y, Cum M, Mayo A, Alon U, Kimchi T. Sex-dependent control of pheromones on social organization within groups of wild house mice. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1407-1420.e4. [PMID: 36917976 PMCID: PMC10132349 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchy is a fundamental social phenomenon in a wide range of mammalian species, critically affecting fitness and health. Here, we investigate the role of pheromone signals in the control of social hierarchies and individual personalities within groups of wild mice. For this purpose, we combine high-throughput behavioral phenotyping with computational tools in freely interacting groups of wild house mice, males and females, in an automated, semi-natural system. We show that wild mice form dominance hierarchies in both sexes but use sex-specific strategies, displaying distinct male-typical and female-typical behavioral personalities that were also associated with social ranking. Genetic disabling of VNO-mediated pheromone detection generated opposite behavioral effects within groups, enhancing social interactions in males and reducing them in females. Behavioral personalities in the mutated mice displayed mixtures of male-typical and female-typical behaviors, thus blurring sex differences. In addition, rank-associated personalities were abolished despite the fact that both sexes of mutant mice formed stable hierarchies. These findings suggest that group organization is governed by pheromone-mediated sex-specific neural circuits and pave the way to investigate the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in dominance hierarchies under naturalistic settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zilkha
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yefim Pen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meghan Cum
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Avi Mayo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Uri Alon
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hagihara M, Miyamichi K, Inada K. The importance of oxytocin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus for breastfeeding in mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283152. [PMID: 36930664 PMCID: PMC10022762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin, secreted from oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SO) hypothalamic nuclei, promotes parturition, milk ejection, and maternal caregiving behaviors. Previous experiments with whole-body oxytocin knockout mice showed that milk ejection was the unequivocal function of oxytocin, whereas parturition and maternal behaviors were less dependent on oxytocin. Whole-body knockout, however, could induce the enhancement of expression of related gene(s), a phenomenon called genetic compensation, which may hide the actual functions of oxytocin. In addition, the relative contributions of oxytocin neurons in the PVH and SO have not been well documented. Here, we show that females with conditional knockout of oxytocin gene in both the PVH and SO undergo grossly normal parturition and maternal caregiving behaviors, while dams with a smaller number of remaining oxytocin-expressing neurons exhibit severe impairments in breastfeeding, leading to the death of their pups within 24 hours after birth. We also found that the growth of pups is normal even under oxytocin conditional knockout in PVH and SO as long as pups survive the next day of delivery, suggesting that the reduced oxytocin release affects the onset of lactation most severely. These phenotypes are largely recapitulated by SO-specific oxytocin conditional knockout, indicating the unequivocal role of oxytocin neurons in the SO in successful breastfeeding. Given that oxytocin neurons not only secrete oxytocin but also non-oxytocin neurotransmitters or neuropeptides, we further performed cell ablation of oxytocin neurons in the PVH and SO. We found that cell ablation of oxytocin neurons leads to no additional abnormalities over the oxytocin conditional knockout, suggesting that non-oxytocin ligands expressed by oxytocin neurons have negligible functions on the responses measured in this study. Collectively, our findings confirm the dispensability of oxytocin for parturition or maternal behaviors, as well as the importance of SO-derived oxytocin for breastfeeding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitsue Hagihara
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- * E-mail: (KI); (KM)
| | - Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- * E-mail: (KI); (KM)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Clarke L, Zyga O, Pineo-Cavanaugh PL, Jeng M, Fischbein NJ, Partap S, Katznelson L, Parker KJ. Socio-behavioral dysfunction in disorders of hypothalamic-pituitary involvement: The potential role of disease-induced oxytocin and vasopressin signaling deficits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104770. [PMID: 35803395 PMCID: PMC10999113 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Disorders involving hypothalamic and pituitary (HPIT) structures-including craniopharyngioma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and intracranial germ cell tumors-can disrupt brain and endocrine function. An area of emerging clinical concern in patients with these disorders is the co-occurring socio-behavioral dysfunction that persists after standard hormone replacement therapy. Although the two neuropeptides most implicated in mammalian social functioning (oxytocin and arginine vasopressin) are of hypothalamic origin, little is known about how disease-induced damage to HPIT structures may disrupt neuropeptide signaling and, in turn, impact patients' socio-behavioral functioning. Here we provide a clinical primer on disorders of HPIT involvement and a review of neuropeptide signaling and socio-behavioral functioning in relevant animal models and patient populations. This collective evidence suggests that neuropeptide signaling disruptions contribute to socio-behavioral deficits experienced by patients with disorders of HPIT involvement. A better understanding of the biological underpinnings of patients' socio-behavioral symptoms is now needed to enable the development of the first targeted pharmacological strategies by which to manage patients' socio-behavioral dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Clarke
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Olena Zyga
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Psalm L Pineo-Cavanaugh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Jeng
- Department of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology Division), Stanford University, 1000 Welch Road, Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Nancy J Fischbein
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, 450 Quarry Rd, Suite 5659, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sonia Partap
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences (Child Neurology Division), Stanford University, 750 Welch Road, Suite 317, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Laurence Katznelson
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Medicine (Endocrinology Division), Stanford University, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Acikgoz B, Dalkiran B, Dayi A. An overview of the currency and usefulness of behavioral tests used from past to present to assess anxiety, social behavior and depression in rats and mice. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104670. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
9
|
Species differences in the effect of oxytocin on maternal behavior: A model incorporating the potential for allomaternal contributions. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 65:100996. [PMID: 35429546 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has historically been linked to processes involved with maternal behavior. However, the relative importance of oxytocin for maternal behavior widely varies among mammalian species, from indispensable to apparently nonessential. This review proposes a new model in which the relative importance of oxytocin for mothering across species is explained by an evolutionary pressure which we term "allomaternal potential", or the degree to which other conspecifics are capable and likely to assist with caregiving. It is notable that in animals where allomaternal potential is high (i.e., many quality helpers are available), oxytocin is decoupled from mothering. However, in animals where allomaternal potential is low (i.e., conspecifics refuse to, or do not provide, quality help), oxytocin is crucial for mothering. We posit that this relationship is a form of kin selection, whereby oxytocin is a signal that leads mothers to preferentially dispense resources to their own young when quality helpers are unlikely.
Collapse
|
10
|
Svirin E, Veniaminova E, Costa-Nunes JP, Gorlova A, Umriukhin A, Kalueff AV, Proshin A, Anthony DC, Nedorubov A, Tse ACK, Walitza S, Lim LW, Lesch KP, Strekalova T. Predation Stress Causes Excessive Aggression in Female Mice with Partial Genetic Inactivation of Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2: Evidence for Altered Myelination-Related Processes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11061036. [PMID: 35326487 PMCID: PMC8947002 DOI: 10.3390/cells11061036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction between brain serotonin (5-HT) deficiency and environmental adversity may predispose females to excessive aggression. Specifically, complete inactivation of the gene encoding tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (Tph2) results in the absence of neuronal 5-HT synthesis and excessive aggressiveness in both male and female null mutant (Tph2−/−) mice. In heterozygous male mice (Tph2+/−), there is a moderate reduction in brain 5-HT levels, and when they are exposed to stress, they exhibit increased aggression. Here, we exposed female Tph2+/− mice to a five-day rat predation stress paradigm and assessed their emotionality and social interaction/aggression-like behaviors. Tph2+/− females exhibited excessive aggression and increased dominant behavior. Stressed mutants displayed altered gene expression of the 5-HT receptors Htr1a and Htr2a, glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK-3β), and c-fos as well as myelination-related transcripts in the prefrontal cortex: myelin basic protein (Mbp), proteolipid protein 1 (Plp1), myelin-associated glycoprotein (Mag), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (Mog). The expression of the plasticity markers synaptophysin (Syp) and cAMP response element binding protein (Creb), but not AMPA receptor subunit A2 (GluA2), were affected by genotype. Moreover, in a separate experiment, naïve female Tph2+/− mice showed signs of enhanced stress resilience in the modified swim test with repeated swimming sessions. Taken together, the combination of a moderate reduction in brain 5-HT with environmental challenges results in behavioral changes in female mice that resemble the aggression-related behavior and resilience seen in stressed male mutants; additionally, the combination is comparable to the phenotype of null mutants lacking neuronal 5-HT. Changes in myelination-associated processes are suspected to underpin the molecular mechanisms leading to aggressive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy Svirin
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (K.-P.L.)
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Veniaminova
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
| | - João Pedro Costa-Nunes
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New University of Lisbon, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anna Gorlova
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
| | - Aleksei Umriukhin
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
| | - Allan V. Kalueff
- Neuroscience Program, Sirius University, 354340 Sochi, Russia;
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, School of Biological and Medical Physics, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Andrey Proshin
- P.K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, 125315 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Daniel C. Anthony
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - Andrey Nedorubov
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Anna Chung Kwan Tse
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Correspondence: or (L.W.L.); (T.S.); Tel.: +852-3917-6830 (L.W.L.); +31-43-38-84-108 (T.S.)
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (K.-P.L.)
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
| | - Tatyana Strekalova
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (K.-P.L.)
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 125315 Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.V.); (J.P.C.-N.); (A.G.); (A.U.); (D.C.A.)
- Correspondence: or (L.W.L.); (T.S.); Tel.: +852-3917-6830 (L.W.L.); +31-43-38-84-108 (T.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Fulenwider HD, Caruso MA, Ryabinin AE. Manifestations of domination: Assessments of social dominance in rodents. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12731. [PMID: 33769667 PMCID: PMC8464621 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social hierarchies are ubiquitous features of virtually all animal groups. The varying social ranks of members within these groups have profound effects on both physical and emotional health, with lower-ranked individuals typically being the most adversely affected by their respective ranks. Thus, reliable measures of social dominance in preclinical rodent models are necessary to better understand the effects of an individual's social rank on other behaviors and physiological processes. In this review, we outline the primary methodologies used to assess social dominance in various rodent species: those that are based on analyses of agonistic behaviors, and those that are based on resource competition. In synthesizing this review, we conclude that assays based on resource competition may be better suited to characterize social dominance in a wider variety of rodent species and strains, and in both males and females. Lastly, albeit expectedly, we demonstrate that similarly to many other areas of preclinical research, studies incorporating female subjects are lacking in comparison to those using males. These findings emphasize the need for an increased number of studies assessing social dominance in females to form a more comprehensive understanding of this behavioral phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah D. Fulenwider
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Maya A. Caruso
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nassif JB, Felthous AR. Mapping the neurocircuitry of impulsive aggression through the pharmacologic review of anti-impulsive aggressive agents. J Forensic Sci 2022; 67:844-853. [PMID: 35106768 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15000] [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: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive aggression, in contradistinction to premeditated aggression in humans or predatory aggression in animals, corresponds to defensive aggression in animal models. At the core of the neurocircuitry of impulsive aggression, from murine to feline to human species, it is the medial amygdala-mediobasal hypothalamus-dorsal periaqueductal gray pathway. Here, we update current knowledge on the neurocircuitry of impulsive aggression by placing the neurocircuitry and its neurophysiological substrates into the top-down/bottom-up hypothesis of impulsive aggression. We then reverse the neurotranslational approach, which applies neuroscience to developing therapeutic drugs, and apply current understanding of potential mechanisms of anti-impulsive aggression agents to further clarify, at least heuristically and hypothetically, the dynamic biochemical components of the neurocircuitry of impulsive aggression. To do this, we searched the medical literature for studies attempting to clarify the neurobiological and neurochemical effects of the five most widely studied anti-impulsive aggressive agents, particularly as they pertain to the top-down/bottom-up hypothesis. Multiple different mechanisms are discussed, all of which fitting in the hypothesis by way of either promoting the "top-down" part (i.e., enhancing inhibitory neurotransmitters), or suppressing the "bottom-up" part (i.e., decreasing excitatory neurotransmitters). The hypothesis appears consistent with the current psychopharmacological understanding of these agents, as well as to account for the likely multifactorial etiology of the condition. Limitations of the hypothesis and future directions are finally discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joe Bou Nassif
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Alan R Felthous
- Forensic Psychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Oxytocin Facilitates Allomaternal Behavior under Stress in Laboratory Mice. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0405-21.2022. [PMID: 35017259 PMCID: PMC8868028 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0405-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (Oxt) controls reproductive physiology and various kinds of social behaviors, but the exact contribution of Oxt to different components of parental care still needs to be determined. Here, we illustrate the neuroanatomical relations of the parental nurturing-induced neuronal activation with magnocellular Oxt neurons and fibers in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), the brain region critical for parental and alloparental behaviors. We used genetically-targeted mouse lines for Oxt, Oxt receptor (Oxtr), vasopressin receptor 1a (Avpr1a), vasopressin receptor 1b (Avpr1b), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh) to systematically examine the role of Oxt-related signaling in pup-directed behaviors. The Oxtr-Avpr1a-Avpr1b triple knock-out (TKO), and Oxt-Trh-Avpr1a-Avpr1b quadruple KO (QKO) mice were grossly healthy and fertile, except for their complete deficiency in milk ejection and modest deficiency in parturition secondary to maternal loss of the Oxt or Oxtr gene. In our minimal stress conditions, pup-directed behaviors in TKO and QKO mothers and fathers, virgin females and males were essentially indistinguishable from those of their littermates with other genotypes. However, Oxtr KO virgin females did show decreased pup retrieval in the pup-exposure assay performed right after restraint stress. This stress vulnerability in the Oxtr KO was abolished by the additional Avpr1b KO. The general stress sensitivity, as measured by plasma cortisol elevation after restraint stress or by the behavioral performance in the open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM), were not altered in the Oxtr KO but were reduced in the Avpr1b KO females, indicating that the balance of neurohypophysial hormones affects the outcome of pup-directed behaviors.
Collapse
|
14
|
Coen CW, Bennett NC, Holmes MM, Faulkes CG. Neuropeptidergic and Neuroendocrine Systems Underlying Eusociality and the Concomitant Social Regulation of Reproduction in Naked Mole-Rats: A Comparative Approach. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:59-103. [PMID: 34424513 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The African mole-rat family (Bathyergidae) includes the first mammalian species identified as eusocial: naked mole-rats. Comparative studies of eusocial and solitary mole-rat species have identified differences in neuropeptidergic systems that may underlie the phenomenon of eusociality. These differences are found in the oxytocin, vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) systems within the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and lateral septal nucleus. As a corollary of their eusociality, most naked mole-rats remain pre-pubertal throughout life because of the presence of the colony's only reproductive female, the queen. To elucidate the neuroendocrine mechanisms that mediate this social regulation of reproduction, research on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in naked mole-rats has identified differences between the many individuals that are reproductively suppressed and the few that are reproductively mature: the queen and her male consorts. These differences involve gonadal steroids, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1), kisspeptin, gonadotrophin-inhibitory hormone/RFamide-related peptide-3 (GnIH/RFRP-3) and prolactin. The comparative findings in eusocial and solitary mole-rat species are assessed with reference to a broad range of studies on other mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clive W Coen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christopher G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Powers KG, Ma XM, Eipper BA, Mains RE. Cell-type specific knockout of peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase reveals specific behavioral roles in excitatory forebrain neurons and cardiomyocytes. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12699. [PMID: 32902163 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides and peptide hormones play a crucial role in integrating the many factors that affect physiologic and cognitive processes. The potency of many of these peptides requires an amidated amino acid at the C-terminus; a single enzyme, peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM), catalyzes this modification. Anxiety-like behavior is known to be altered in mice with a single functional Pam allele (Pam+/- ) and in mice unable to express Pam in excitatory forebrain neurons (PamEmx1-cKO/cKO ) or in cardiomyocytes (PamMyh6-cKO/cKO ). Examination of PAM-positive and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD)-positive cells in the amygdala of PamEmx1-cKO/cKO mice demonstrated the absence of PAM in pyramidal neurons and its continued presence in GAD-positive interneurons, suggestive of altered excitatory/inhibitory balance. Additional behavioral tests were used to search for functional alterations in these cell-type specific knockout mice. PamEmx1-cKO/cKO mice exhibited a less focused search pattern for the Barnes Maze escape hole than control or PamMyh6-cKO/cKO mice. While wildtype mice favor interacting with novel objects as opposed to familiar objects, both PamEmx1-cKO/cKO and PamMyh6-cKO/cKO mice exhibited significantly less interest in the novel object. Since PAM levels in the central nervous system of PamMyh6-cKO/cKO mice are unaltered, the behavioral effect observed in these mice may reflect their inability to produce atrial granules and the resulting reduction in serum levels of atrial natriuretic peptide. In the sociability test, male mice of all three genotypes spent more time with same-sex stranger mice; while control females showed no preference for stranger mice, female PamEmx1-cKO/cKO mice showed preference for same-sex stranger mice in all trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Powers
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Xin-Ming Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Betty A Eipper
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Richard E Mains
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Anpilov S, Shemesh Y, Eren N, Harony-Nicolas H, Benjamin A, Dine J, Oliveira VEM, Forkosh O, Karamihalev S, Hüttl RE, Feldman N, Berger R, Dagan A, Chen G, Neumann ID, Wagner S, Yizhar O, Chen A. Wireless Optogenetic Stimulation of Oxytocin Neurons in a Semi-natural Setup Dynamically Elevates Both Pro-social and Agonistic Behaviors. Neuron 2020; 107:644-655.e7. [PMID: 32544386 PMCID: PMC7447984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Complex behavioral phenotyping techniques are becoming more prevalent in the field of behavioral neuroscience, and thus methods for manipulating neuronal activity must be adapted to fit into such paradigms. Here, we present a head-mounted, magnetically activated device for wireless optogenetic manipulation that is compact, simple to construct, and suitable for use in group-living mice in an enriched semi-natural arena over several days. Using this device, we demonstrate that repeated activation of oxytocin neurons in male mice can have different effects on pro-social and agonistic behaviors, depending on the social context. Our findings support the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin and emphasize the importance of the environment in the study of social neuromodulators. Our wireless optogenetic device can be easily adapted for use in a variety of behavioral paradigms, which are normally hindered by tethered light delivery or a limited environment. A small, wireless device is used for optogenetic activation in a complex environment PVN oxytocin neurons were activated repeatedly over 2 days in a group setting Repeated activation in a group setting elicited both pro-social and agonistic behavior Findings support the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin neuro-modulation
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Anpilov
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Yair Shemesh
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Noa Eren
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Asaf Benjamin
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Julien Dine
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Vinícius E M Oliveira
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Oren Forkosh
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Stoyo Karamihalev
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Rosa-Eva Hüttl
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Noa Feldman
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ryan Berger
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Avi Dagan
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Gal Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel; Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mousavi A, Askari N, Vaez-Mahdavi MR. Augmentation of morphine-conditioned place preference by food restriction is associated with alterations in the oxytocin/oxytocin receptor in rat models. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2020; 46:304-315. [PMID: 31609135 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1648483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies indicate that food restriction (FR) reinforces the effects of morphine. The exact mechanisms by which FR influences the reward circuitry of morphine have not yet been determined. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that the effects of FR on the oxytocin (OXT) system and HPA axis can be associated with substance abuse disorders. In this study, the serum levels of OXT and corticosterone, and the expression of OXT/OXT receptor (OXTR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens were investigated in an FR model. METHODS First, the male rats (n = 8 per group) were subjected to FR for 3 weeks. Then, morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) was observed using two doses of morphine (3 and 5 mg/kg). The serum concentrations of corticosterone and OXT were determined by ELISA and the expression of genes was examined by qPCR. RESULTS FR induced an enhanced preference in the animals for the 5 mg/kg dose of morphine compared to the controls. Serum corticosterone levels increased after FR but OXT levels decreased. Meanwhile, FR actuated downregulation of GR, BDNF, and OXT genes, while inducing the overexpression of OXTR. CONCLUSION We propose the inclusion of OXT and OXTR alterations in the enhancement of morphine-induced CPP and addiction vulnerability following FR. Moreover, we conclude that altered BDNF levels and HPA axis activity may be the mechanisms involved in the effects of FR on morphine-induced behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mousavi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman , Kerman, I.R. Iran
| | - Nayere Askari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman , Kerman, I.R. Iran.,Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University , Tehran, I.R. Iran
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
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: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Shabalova AA, Liang M, Zhong J, Huang Z, Tsuji C, Shnayder NA, Lopatina O, Salmina AB, Okamoto H, Yamamoto Y, Zhong ZG, Yokoyama S, Higashida H. Oxytocin and CD38 in the paraventricular nucleus play a critical role in paternal aggression in mice. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104695. [PMID: 31987898 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the development of healthy offspring requires maternal care. Behavior by lactating mothers toward other individuals is an important component of maternal aggression. However, it is unclear whether fathers display aggression primed by pups (an external factor), and the protection mechanism is poorly understood. To address this question, we examined paternal aggression in the ICR mouse strain. We found that sires exposed to cues from pups and lactating dams showed stronger aggression toward intruders than did sires that were deprived of family cues or exposed to nonlactating mates. c-Fos immunohistochemistry showed that cells in both the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei (PVN and SON, respectively) in the hypothalamus of sires exposed to any cues were highly activated. However, c-Fos activation in oxytocinergic neurons was increased only in sires exposed to pup cues and solely in the PVN. In Cd38-knockout sires, the presence of pups induced no or reduced parental aggression; however, this phenotype was recovered, that is, aggression increased to the wild-type level, after intraperitoneal administration of oxytocin (OT). Specific c-Fos activation patterns induced by pup cues were not found in the PVN of knockout sires. These results demonstrate that the PVN is one of the primary hypothalamic areas involved in paternal aggression and suggest that a CD38-dependent OT mechanism in oxytocinergic neurons is critical for part of the behavior associated with the protection of offspring by nurturing male mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Shabalova
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Department of Socioneurosciences, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Kanazawa Campus, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mingkun Liang
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi 530011, China
| | - Jing Zhong
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Department of Physiology, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianhu Campus, Nanning, Guangxi 530200, China
| | - Zhiqi Huang
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianhu Campus, Nanning, Guangxi 530200, China
| | - Chiharu Tsuji
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Natalia A Shnayder
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Olga Lopatina
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Hiroshi Okamoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Vascular Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Yamamoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Vascular Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Zeng-Guo Zhong
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Center of Research & Development of New Drugs, Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning 530001, China
| | - Shigeru Yokoyama
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasentsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Williamson CM, Lee W, DeCasien AR, Lanham A, Romeo RD, Curley JP. Social hierarchy position in female mice is associated with plasma corticosterone levels and hypothalamic gene expression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7324. [PMID: 31086272 PMCID: PMC6513839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43747-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies emerge when animals compete for access to resources such as food, mates or physical space. Wild and laboratory male mice have been shown to develop linear hierarchies, however, less is known regarding whether female mice have sufficient intrasexual competition to establish significant social dominance relationships. In this study, we examined whether groups of outbred CD-1 virgin female mice housed in a large vivaria formed social hierarchies. We show that females use fighting, chasing and mounting behaviors to rapidly establish highly directionally consistent social relationships. Notably, these female hierarchies are less linear, steep and despotic compared to male hierarchies. Female estrus state was not found to have a significant effect on aggressive behavior, though dominant females had elongated estrus cycles (due to increased time in estrus) compared to subordinate females. Plasma estradiol levels were equivalent between dominant and subordinate females. Subordinate females had significantly higher levels of basal corticosterone compared to dominant females. Analyses of gene expression in the ventromedial hypothalamus indicated that subordinate females have elevated ERα, ERβ and OTR mRNA compared to dominant females. This study provides a methodological framework for the study of the neuroendocrine basis of female social aggression and dominance in laboratory mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cait M Williamson
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Alexandra R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Alesi Lanham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Been LE, Gibbons AB, Meisel RL. Towards a neurobiology of female aggression. Neuropharmacology 2018; 156:107451. [PMID: 30502376 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Although many people think of aggression as a negative or undesirable emotion, it is a normal part of many species' repertoire of social behaviors. Purposeful and controlled aggression can be adaptive in that it warns other individuals of perceived breaches in social contracts with the goal of dispersing conflict before it escalates into violence. Aggression becomes maladaptive, however, when it escalates inappropriately or impulsively into violence. Despite ample data demonstrating that impulsive aggression and violence occurs in both men and women, aggression has historically been considered a uniquely masculine trait. As a result, the vast majority of studies attempting to model social aggression in animals, particularly those aimed at understanding the neural underpinnings of aggression, have been conducted in male rodents. In this review, we summarize the state of the literature on the neurobiology of social aggression in female rodents, including social context, hormonal regulation and neural sites of aggression regulation. Our goal is to put historical research in the context of new research, emphasizing studies using ecologically valid methods and modern sophisticated techniques. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA.
| | - Alison B Gibbons
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Jager A, Maas DA, Fricke K, de Vries RB, Poelmans G, Glennon JC. Aggressive behavior in transgenic animal models: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:198-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
23
|
Jurek B, Neumann ID. The Oxytocin Receptor: From Intracellular Signaling to Behavior. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:1805-1908. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00031.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 408] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The many facets of the oxytocin (OXT) system of the brain and periphery elicited nearly 25,000 publications since 1930 (see FIGURE 1 , as listed in PubMed), which revealed central roles for OXT and its receptor (OXTR) in reproduction, and social and emotional behaviors in animal and human studies focusing on mental and physical health and disease. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of OXT expression and release, expression and binding of the OXTR in brain and periphery, OXTR-coupled signaling cascades, and their involvement in behavioral outcomes to assemble a comprehensive picture of the central and peripheral OXT system. Traditionally known for its role in milk let-down and uterine contraction during labor, OXT also has implications in physiological, and also behavioral, aspects of reproduction, such as sexual and maternal behaviors and pair bonding, but also anxiety, trust, sociability, food intake, or even drug abuse. The many facets of OXT are, on a molecular basis, brought about by a single receptor. The OXTR, a 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor capable of binding to either Gαior Gαqproteins, activates a set of signaling cascades, such as the MAPK, PKC, PLC, or CaMK pathways, which converge on transcription factors like CREB or MEF-2. The cellular response to OXT includes regulation of neurite outgrowth, cellular viability, and increased survival. OXTergic projections in the brain represent anxiety and stress-regulating circuits connecting the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, or the medial prefrontal cortex. Which OXT-induced patterns finally alter the behavior of an animal or a human being is still poorly understood, and studying those OXTR-coupled signaling cascades is one initial step toward a better understanding of the molecular background of those behavioral effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Jurek
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D. Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Olazábal DE. Role of oxytocin in parental behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12594. [PMID: 29603440 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [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: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Both animal and human studies have provided conclusive evidence that oxytocin (OXT) acts in the brain (eg, medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens) to promote parental behaviour under different reproductive and physiological conditions. OXT appears to accelerate and strengthen the neural process that makes newborns attractive or rewarding. Furthermore, OXT reduces stress/anxiety and might improve mood and well being, resulting in indirect benefits for parents. However, OXT also plays a role in the development of species reproductive and social strategies, making some species or individuals more prone to display caring activities in nonreproductive contexts. There are important differences in the development of the OXT system and its regulation by gonadal hormones that can make individuals or species very different. Those intra- and interspecific differences in the OXT system have been associated with differences in parental behaviour. For example, differences in OXT levels in body fluids and genetic variants for the OXT and OXT receptor genes have been associated with variability in parental mood and behaviour in humans. Thus, OXT has received much attention as a potential therapeutic agent for affective, emotional and behavioural problems. Despite many preliminary studies indicating promising findings, several unknown aspects of the OXT system remain to be addressed before we can achieve a complete understanding of its function in the brain. The enormous interest that this area of study has attracted in the last decade will likely continually contribute to advancing our understanding of the role of OXT in parental behaviour and other behavioural and physiological functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
de Oliveira Pereira Ribeiro L, Vargas-Pinilla P, Kappel DB, Longo D, Ranzan J, Becker MM, dos Santos Riesgo R, Schuler-Faccini L, Roman T, Schuch JB. Evidence for Association Between OXTR Gene and ASD Clinical Phenotypes. J Mol Neurosci 2018; 65:213-221. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-018-1088-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
26
|
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.
Collapse
|
27
|
Maekawa F, Nagino K, Yang J, Htike NTT, Tsukahara S, Ubuka T, Tsutsui K, Kawashima T. Strain differences in intermale aggression and possible factors regulating increased aggression in Japanese quail. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:63-70. [PMID: 28765073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) of Japan established a strain of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) known as NIES-L by rotation breeding in a closed colony for over 35years; accordingly, the strain has highly inbred-like characteristics. Another strain called NIES-Brn has been maintained by randomized breeding in a closed colony to produce outbred-like characteristics. The current study aimed to characterize intermale aggressive behaviors in both strains and to identify possible factors regulating higher aggression in the hypothalamus, such as sex hormone and neuropeptide expression. Both strains displayed a common set of intermale aggressive behaviors that included pecking, grabbing, mounting, and cloacal contact behavior, although NIES-Brn quail showed significantly more grabbing, mounting, and cloacal contact behavior than did NIES-L quail. We examined sex hormone levels in the blood and diencephalon in both strains. Testosterone concentrations were significantly higher in the blood and diencephalon of NIES-Brn quail compared to NIES-L quail. We next examined gene expression in the hypothalamus of both strains using an Agilent gene expression microarray and real-time RT-PCR and found that gene expression of mesotocin (an oxytocin homologue) was significantly higher in the hypothalamus of NIES-Brn quail compared to NIES-L quail. Immunohistochemistry of the hypothalamus revealed that numbers of large cells (cell area>500μm2) expressing mesotocin were significantly higher in the NIES-Brn strain compared to the NIES-L strain. Taken together, our findings suggest that higher testosterone and mesotocin levels in the hypothalamus may be responsible for higher aggression in the NIES-Brn quail strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiko Maekawa
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan; Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan.
| | - Koki Nagino
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan; Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nang T T Htike
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan; Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan; Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Brain Research Institute Monash Sunway, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Zilkha N, Scott N, Kimchi T. Sexual Dimorphism of Parental Care: From Genes to Behavior. Annu Rev Neurosci 2017; 40:273-305. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-072116-031447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zilkha
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Niv Scott
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
- Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
The Role of the Oxytocin/Arginine Vasopressin System in Animal Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:135-158. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
31
|
Badr HA, Zauszniewski JA. Kangaroo care and postpartum depression: The role of oxytocin. Int J Nurs Sci 2017; 4:179-183. [PMID: 31406740 PMCID: PMC6626107 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Problem Postpartum depression occurs in about 10–22% of women after birth and adversely affects their health and the health of their newborn. Kangaroo care is known to have many health-related benefits for both the mother and her newborn. Purpose The aim of this review was to gather the evidence linking the effects of kangaroo care with postpartum depression, specifically focusing on the proposed underlying mechanism involving the release of oxytocin. Method The literature review was conducted by targeting PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases. The search terms used were postpartum depression, postnatal depression, oxytocin, oxytocin hormone, postpartum depression, kangaroo care, and skin-to-skin contact. Results Kangaroo care was found to play an important role in decreasing the risk for postpartum depression. Skin-to-skin contact during kangaroo care was found to trigger the release of oxytocin, which is hypothesized to minimize the risk for depressive symptoms as well as decrease maternal stress. The oxytocinergic system regulates the release of oxytocin, which is an effect that is opposite that which occurs with the human stress response, in which the sympathetic nervous system is activated to release catecholamines in response to harmful or threatening stimuli. The oxytocinergic system regulates calmness, connection, and socialization processes. During kangaroo care, oxytocin blocks the stress response and decreases the circulation of catecholamines, yielding positive outcomes that include maternal stress reduction and prevention of postpartum depression. Conclusion Kangaroo care can be used as a non-pharmacological intervention to prevent or decrease the risk of postpartum depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanan A Badr
- Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4904, USA.,King Abdul Aziz University, School of Nursing, Jeddah, P.O. Box 80200, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jaclene A Zauszniewski
- Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, 2120 Cornell Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kim S, Strathearn L. Trauma, Mothering, and Intergenerational Transmission: A Synthesis of Behavioral and Oxytocin Research. PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDY OF THE CHILD 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/00797308.2016.1277897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
- Center for Reproductive Psychiatry, Pavilion for Women, Texas Children’s Hospital
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
- Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Children’s Hospital
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
Although dramatic postnatal changes in maternal behavior have long been noted, we are only now beginning to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that support this transition. The present paper synthesizes growing insights from both animal and human research to provide an overview of the plasticity of the mother's brain, with a particular emphasis on the oxytocin system. We examine plasticity observed within the oxytocin system and discuss how these changes mediate an array of other adaptations observed within the maternal brain. We outline factors that affect the oxytocin-mediated plasticity of the maternal brain and review evidence linking disruptions in oxytocin functions to challenges in maternal adaptation. We conclude by suggesting a strategy for intervention with mothers who may be at risk for maladjustment during this transition to motherhood, while highlighting areas where further research is needed.
Collapse
|
34
|
Zhou YT, He ZG, Liu TT, Feng MH, Zhang DY, Xiang HB. Neuroanatomical circuitry between kidney and rostral elements of brain: a virally mediated transsynaptic tracing study in mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 37:63-69. [PMID: 28224417 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-017-1695-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The identity of higher-order neurons and circuits playing an associative role to control renal function is not well understood. We identified specific neural populations of rostral elements of brain regions that project multisynaptically to the kidneys in 3-6 days after injecting a retrograde tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV)-614 into kidney of 13 adult male C57BL/6J strain mice. PRV-614 infected neurons were detected in a number of mesencephalic (e.g. central amygdala nucleus), telencephalic regions and motor cortex. These divisions included the preoptic area (POA), dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), lateral hypothalamus, arcuate nucleus (Arc), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), periventricular hypothalamus (PeH), and rostral and caudal subdivision of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). PRV-614/Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) double-labeled cells were found within DMH, Arc, SCN, PeH, PVN, the anterodorsal and medial POA. A subset of neurons in PVN that participated in regulating sympathetic outflow to kidney was catecholaminergic or serotonergic. PRV-614 infected neurons within the PVN also contained arginine vasopressin or oxytocin. These data demonstrate the rostral elements of brain innervate the kidney by the neuroanatomical circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Ting Zhou
- Department of Surgery, Shuyang Hospital, Shuyang, 223600, China
| | - Zhi-Gang He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Tao-Tao Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Mao-Hui Feng
- Department of Oncology, Wuhan Peritoneal Cancer Clinical Medical Research Center, Zhangnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Ding-Yu Zhang
- Intensive Care Unit, Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, Wuhan, 430023, China.
| | - Hong-Bing Xiang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
The oxytocin/vasopressin ancestor molecule has been regulating reproductive and social behaviors for more than 500 million years. In all mammals, oxytocin is the hormone indispensable for milk-ejection during nursing (maternal milk provision to offspring), a process that is crucial for successful mammalian parental care. In laboratory mice, a remarkable transcriptional activation occurs during parental behavior within the anterior commissural nucleus (AC), the largest magnocellular oxytocin cell population within the medial preoptic area (although the transcriptional activation was limited to non-oxytocinergic neurons in the AC). Furthermore, there are numerous recent reports on oxytocin's involvement in positive social behaviors in animals and humans. Given all those, the essential involvement of oxytocin in maternal/parental behaviors may seem obvious, but basic researchers are still struggling to pin down the exact role oxytocin plays in the regulation of parental behaviors. A major aim of this review is to more clearly define this role. The best conclusion at this moment is that OT can facilitate the onset of parental behavior, or parental behavior under stressful conditions.In this chapter, we will first review the basics of rodent parental behavior. Next, the neuroanatomy of oxytocin systems with respect to parental behavior in laboratory mice will be introduced. Then, the research history on the functional relationship between oxytocin and parental behavior, along with advancements in various techniques, will be reviewed. Finally, some technical considerations in conducting behavioral experiments on parental behavior in rodents will be addressed, with the aim of shedding light on certain pitfalls that should be avoided, so that the progress of research in this field will be facilitated. In this age of populism, researchers should strive to do even more scholarly works with further attention to methodological details.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Yoshihara
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Michael Numan
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Terranova JI, Ferris CF, Albers HE. Sex Differences in the Regulation of Offensive Aggression and Dominance by Arginine-Vasopressin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:308. [PMID: 29184535 PMCID: PMC5694440 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) plays a critical role in the regulation of offensive aggression and social status in mammals. AVP is found in an extensive neural network in the brain. Here, we discuss the role of AVP in the regulation of aggression in the limbic system with an emphasis on the critical role of hypothalamic AVP in the control of aggression. In males, activation of AVP V1a receptors (V1aRs) in the hypothalamus stimulates offensive aggression, while in females activation of V1aRs inhibits aggression. Serotonin (5-HT) also acts within the hypothalamus to modulate the effects of AVP on aggression in a sex-dependent manner. Activation of 5-HT1a receptors (5-HT1aRs) inhibits aggression in males and stimulates aggression in females. There are also striking sex differences in the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of dominance. In males, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of AVP-containing neurons in the hypothalamus. By contrast, in females, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of 5-HT-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe. AVP and 5-HT also play critical roles in the regulation of a form of social communication that is important for the maintenance of dominance relationships. In both male and female hamsters, AVP acts via V1aRs in the hypothalamus, as well as in other limbic structures, to communicate social status through the stimulation of a form of scent marking called flank marking. 5-HT acts on 5-HT1aRs as well as other 5-HT receptors within the hypothalamus to inhibit flank marking induced by AVP in both males and females. Interestingly, while AVP and 5-HT influence the expression of aggression in opposite ways in males and females, there are no sex differences in the effects of AVP and 5-HT on the expression of social communication. Given the profound sex differences in the incidence of many psychiatric disorders and the increasing evidence for a relationship between aggressiveness/dominance and the susceptibility to these disorders, understanding the neural regulation of aggression and social status will have significant import for translational studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph I. Terranova
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Craig F. Ferris
- Department of Psychology, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - H. Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: H. Elliott Albers,
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Caldwell HK, Aulino EA, Freeman AR, Miller TV, Witchey SK. Oxytocin and behavior: Lessons from knockout mice. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:190-201. [PMID: 27513442 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the nonapeptide oxytocin (Oxt) is important for the neural modulation of behaviors in many mammalian species. Since its discovery in 1906 and synthesis in the early 1950s, elegant pharmacological work has helped identify specific neural substrates on which Oxt exerts its effects. More recently, mice with targeted genetic disruptions of the Oxt system-i.e., both the peptide and its receptor (the Oxtr)-have further defined Oxt's actions and laid some important scientific groundwork for studies in other species. In this article, we highlight the scientific contributions that various mouse knockouts of the Oxt system have made to our understanding of Oxt's modulation of behavior. We specifically focus on how the use of these mice has shed light on our understanding of social recognition memory, maternal behavior, aggression, and several nonsocial behaviors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 190-201, 2017.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Elizabeth A Aulino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Angela R Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Travis V Miller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| | - Shannah K Witchey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
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.
Collapse
|
40
|
Freudenberg F, Carreño Gutierrez H, Post AM, Reif A, Norton WHJ. Aggression in non-human vertebrates: Genetic mechanisms and molecular pathways. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171:603-40. [PMID: 26284957 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is an adaptive behavioral trait that is important for the establishment of social hierarchies and competition for mating partners, food, and territories. While a certain level of aggression can be beneficial for the survival of an individual or species, abnormal aggression levels can be detrimental. Abnormal aggression is commonly found in human patients with psychiatric disorders. The predisposition to aggression is influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors and a large number of genes have been associated with aggression in both human and animal studies. In this review, we compare and contrast aggression studies in zebrafish and mouse. We present gene ontology and pathway analyses of genes linked to aggression and discuss the molecular pathways that underpin agonistic behavior in these species. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Antonia M Post
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Veroude K, Zhang-James Y, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Bakker MJ, Cormand B, Faraone SV. Genetics of aggressive behavior: An overview. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171B:3-43. [PMID: 26345359 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) address three types of aggression: frustrative non-reward, defensive aggression and offensive/proactive aggression. This review sought to present the evidence for genetic underpinnings of aggression and to determine to what degree prior studies have examined phenotypes that fit into the RDoC framework. Although the constructs of defensive and offensive aggression have been widely used in the animal genetics literature, the human literature is mostly agnostic with regard to all the RDoC constructs. We know from twin studies that about half the variance in behavior may be explained by genetic risk factors. This is true for both dimensional, trait-like, measures of aggression and categorical definitions of psychopathology. The non-shared environment seems to have a moderate influence with the effects of shared environment being unclear. Human molecular genetic studies of aggression are in an early stage. The most promising candidates are in the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems along with hormonal regulators. Genome-wide association studies have not yet achieved genome-wide significance, but current samples are too small to detect variants having the small effects one would expect for a complex disorder. The strongest molecular evidence for a genetic basis for aggression comes from animal models comparing aggressive and non-aggressive strains or documenting the effects of gene knockouts. Although we have learned much from these prior studies, future studies should improve the measurement of aggression by using a systematic method of measurement such as that proposed by the RDoC initiative.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Veroude
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yanli Zhang-James
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,Departments of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Catalonia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Spain
| | - Mireille J Bakker
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bru Cormand
- Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Catalonia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Spain
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,Departments of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Olazábal DE, Alsina-Llanes M. Are age and sex differences in brain oxytocin receptors related to maternal and infanticidal behavior in naïve mice? Horm Behav 2016; 77:132-40. [PMID: 25910577 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". There is significant variability in the behavioral responses displayed by naïve young and adult mice when first exposed to pups. This variability has been associated with differences in the expression of oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in the brain in several species. Experiment I investigated the behavioral responses of juvenile, adolescent, and adult CB57BL/6 males and females when first exposed to pups. We found an age increase in maternal females (11% of juveniles, 20% of adolescents, and 50% of young adults), and infanticidal males (0% of juveniles, 30% of adolescents, 44.5% of young adults, and 100% of older adults). Experiment II investigated OXTR density in the brain of juvenile and adult mice. Our results revealed an age decline in the density of OXTR in several brain regions, including the lateral septum, cingulated and posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus in both males and females. Adult females had higher OXTR density in the ventromedial nucleus/postero-ventral hypothalamus (VMH) and the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), but lower density in the ventral region of the lateral septum (LSv) than juveniles. Males had lower OXTR density in the anterior olfactory area (AOA) compared to juveniles. No age or sex differences were found in the medial preoptic area, and amygdaloid nuclei, among other brain regions. This study suggests that 1) maturation of parental and infanticidal behavioral responses is not reached until adulthood; 2) the pattern of development of OXTR in the mouse brain is unique, region specific, and differs from that observed in other rodents; 3) either up or down regulation of OXTR in a few brain regions (VMH/AOB/LSv/AOA) might contribute to age or sex differences in parental or infanticidal behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Cacioppo JT, Amaral DG, Blanchard JJ, Cameron JL, Carter CS, Crews D, Fiske S, Heatherton T, Johnson MK, Kozak MJ, Levenson RW, Lord C, Miller EK, Ochsner K, Raichle ME, Shea MT, Taylor SE, Young LJ, Quinn KJ. Social Neuroscience: Progress and Implications for Mental Health. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 2:99-123. [PMID: 26151956 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00032.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Social neuroscience is a new, interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding how biological systems implement social processes and behavior. Social neuroscience capitalizes on biological concepts and methods to inform and refine theories of social behavior, and it uses social and behavioral constructs and data to inform and refine theories of neural organization and function. We focus here on the progress and potential of social neuroscience in the area of mental health. Research in social neuroscience has grown dramatically in recent years. Among the most active areas of research we found are brain-imaging studies in normal children and adults; animal models of social behavior; studies of stroke patients; imaging studies of psychiatric patients; and research on social determinants of peripheral neural, neuroendocrine, and immunological processes. We also found that these areas of research are proceeding along largely independent trajectories. Our goals in this article are to review the development of this field, examine some currently promising approaches, identify obstacles and opportunities for future advances and integration, and consider how this research can inform work on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
Collapse
|
44
|
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]
|
45
|
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J H Pagani
- Section on Neural Gene Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Klahr AM, Klump K, Burt SA. A constructive replication of the association between the oxytocin receptor genotype and parenting. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2015; 29:91-9. [PMID: 25419912 PMCID: PMC4461003 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral genetic studies have robustly indicated that parenting behaviors are heritable-that is, individual differences in parenting are at least partially a function of genetic differences between persons. Few studies, however, have sought to identify the specific genetic variants that are associated with individual differences in parenting. Genes that influence the oxytocin system are of particular interest, given the growing body of evidence that points to the role of oxytocin for social behaviors, including parenting. The current study conducted examinations of associations between a variant in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576) and parental warmth, control, and negativity in a sample of 1,000 twin children and their parents (N = 500 families) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry to constructively replicate and extend prior work (Bakermans-Kranenburg & van IJzendoorn, 2008; Michalska et al., 2014). Analyses were conducted both at the level of the child and the level of the parent, allowing us to examine both child-driven (via evocative gene-environment correlation) and parent-driven genetic effects on parenting. Mothers' OXTR genotype predicted her warmth toward her children, even after controlling for child genotype. This association was not found for fathers. These findings add to the growing body of evidence linking oxytocin functioning to parental behavior and also highlight potential etiological differences in parenting across mothers and fathers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelly Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Alsina-Llanes M, De Brun V, Olazábal DE. Development and expression of maternal behavior in naïve female C57BL/6 mice. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 57:189-200. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Alsina-Llanes
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
| | - Victoria De Brun
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
| | - Daniel E. Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina; UdelaR. Gral Flores 2125 Montevideo 18000 Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Veening JG, de Jong TR, Waldinger MD, Korte SM, Olivier B. The role of oxytocin in male and female reproductive behavior. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:209-28. [PMID: 25088178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide with an impressive variety of physiological functions. Among them, the 'prosocial' effects have been discussed in several recent reviews, but the direct effects on male and female sexual behavior did receive much less attention so far. As our contribution to honor the lifelong interest of Berend Olivier in the control mechanisms of sexual behavior, we decided to explore the role of OT in the present review. In the successive sections, some physiological mechanisms and the 'pair-bonding' effects of OT will be discussed, followed by sections about desire, female appetitive and copulatory behavior, including lordosis and orgasm. At the male side, the effects on erection and ejaculation are reviewed, followed by a section about 'premature ejaculation' and a possible role of OT in its treatment. In addition to OT, serotonin receives some attention as one of the main mechanisms controlling the effects of OT. In the succeeding sections, the importance of OT for 'the fruits of labor' is discussed, as it plays an important role in both maternal and paternal behavior. Finally, we pay attention to an intriguing brain area, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMHvl), apparently functioning in both sexual and aggressive behavior, which are at first view completely opposite behavioral systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J G Veening
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - T R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - M D Waldinger
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - S M Korte
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B Olivier
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Lieberwirth C, Wang Z. Social bonding: regulation by neuropeptides. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:171. [PMID: 25009457 PMCID: PMC4067905 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Affiliative social relationships (e.g., among spouses, family members, and friends) play an essential role in human society. These relationships affect psychological, physiological, and behavioral functions. As positive and enduring bonds are critical for the overall well-being of humans, it is not surprising that considerable effort has been made to study the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie social bonding behaviors. The present review details the involvement of the nonapeptides, oxytocin (OT), and arginine vasopressin (AVP), in the regulation of social bonding in mammals including humans. In particular, we will discuss the role of OT and AVP in the formation of social bonds between partners of a mating pair as well as between parents and their offspring. Furthermore, the role of OT and AVP in the formation of interpersonal bonding involving trust is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Neural mechanisms of female sexual behavior in the rat; comparison with male ejaculatory control. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 121:16-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
|