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Huerta C, Meza E, Caba-Flores MD, Morales T, Paredes RG, Caba M. Activation of the central but not the medial and cortical amygdala during anticipation for daily nursing in the rabbit. Brain Res 2023; 1809:148341. [PMID: 37001722 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Rabbits have remarkable nursing behavior: after parturition, does visit daily their pups for nursing only once with circadian periodicity. Before the nursing events, they present increased activity and arousal, which shift according to the timing of scheduled nursing, either during the day or night. Brain areas related to maternal behavior and neuroendocrine cells for milk secretion are also entrained. The daily return of the doe for nursing at approximately the same hour suggests a motivational drive with circadian periodicity. Previously, we reported the activation of the mesolimbic system at the time of nursing, but not 12 h before that. Aiming at a better understanding of the mechanism of this anticipatory behavior, we explored the participation of the limbic regions of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, as well as the possible activation of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis, specifically the corticotropin-releasing factor cells in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of does at different times before and after nursing. The medial and cortical amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and corticotropin cells showed activation only after nursing. However, the central amygdala was also activated before nursing. We conclude that the medial and the cortical amygdala form part of the afferent olfactory pathway for entrainment, and the central amygdala participates in the anticipatory motivational circuit of the control of periodic nursing. The lack of activation of corticotropin cells before nursing is consistent with the possible harmful effects of the doe's high glucocorticoid levels on the developing pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Huerta
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CIB), Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
| | - Enrique Meza
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CIB), Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
| | - Mario Daniel Caba-Flores
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Teresa Morales
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Mexico
| | - Raúl G Paredes
- Instituto de Neurobiología and Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad, Juriquilla, UNAM, Mexico
| | - Mario Caba
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CIB), Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.
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Guoynes CD, Marler CA. Acute intranasal oxytocin dose enhances social preference for parents over peers in male but not female peri-adolescent California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 335:114230. [PMID: 36781024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Peri-adolescence is a critical developmental stage marked by profound changes in the valence of social interactions with parents and peers. We hypothesized that the oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) systems, known for influencing social behavior, would be involved in the maintenance and breaking of bonding behavior expressed by very early peri-adolescent males and females. In rodents, OXT is associated with mother-pup bonding and may promote social attachment to members of the natal territory. AVP, on the other hand, can act in contrasting ways to OXT and has been associated with aggression and territoriality. Specifically, we predicted that in peri-adolescent male and female juveniles of the biparental and territorial California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), a) OXT would increase the social preferences for the parents over unfamiliar age-matched peers (one male and one female), and b) AVP would break the parent-offspring bond and either increase time in the neutral chamber and/or approach to their unfamiliar and novel peers. We examined anxiety and exploratory behavior using an elevated plus maze and a novel object task as a control. Peri-adolescent mice were administered an acute intranasal (IN) treatment of 0.5 IU/kg IN AVP, 0.5 IU/kg IN OXT, or saline control; five minutes later, the behavioral tests were conducted. As predicted, we found that IN OXT enhanced social preference for parents; however, this was only in male and not female peri-adolescent mice. IN AVP did not influence social preference in either sex. These effects appear specific to social behavior and not anxiety, as neither IN OXT nor AVP influenced behavior during the elevated plus maze or novel object tasks. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence indicating that OXT may play a role in promoting peri-adolescent social preferences for parents and delaying weaning in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleigh D Guoynes
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Ugartemendia L, De Guzman RM, Cai J, Rajamanickam S, Jiang Z, Tao J, Zuloaga DG, Justice NJ. A subpopulation of oxytocin neurons initiate expression of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) in females post parturition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 145:105918. [PMID: 36116320 PMCID: PMC9881188 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is essential for successful reproduction, particularly during parturition and lactation. During the postpartum period, OT also influences maternal behavior to promote bonding between mothers and their newborns, and increases stress resilience. However, the mechanism by which stress influences OT neuron activity and OT release has remained unclear. Here, we provide evidence that a subpopulation of OT neurons initiate expression of the receptor for the stress neuropeptide Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF), CRFR1, in reproductive females. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 begins at the first parturition and increases during the postpartum period until weaning. The percentage of OT neurons that express CRFR1 increases with successive breeding cycles until it reaches a plateau of 20-25% of OT neurons. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 in reproductive females is maintained after they are no longer actively breeding. CRFR1 expression leads to activation of OT neurons when animals are stressed. We propose a model in which direct CRF signaling to OT neurons selectively in reproductive females potentiates OT release to promote stress resilience in mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lierni Ugartemendia
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jing Cai
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Shivakumar Rajamanickam
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Zhiying Jiang
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Jonathan Tao
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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4
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Kim SH, An K, Namkung H, Saito A, Rannals MD, Moore JR, Mihaljevic M, Saha S, Oh S, Kondo MA, Ishizuka K, Yang K, Maher BJ, Niwa M, Sawa A. Anterior Insula-Associated Social Novelty Recognition: Pivotal Roles of a Local Retinoic Acid Cascade and Oxytocin Signaling. Am J Psychiatry 2022; 180:305-317. [PMID: 36128683 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deficits in social cognition consistently underlie functional disabilities in a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that the anterior insula is a "common core" brain region that is impaired across neurological and psychiatric disorders, which include social cognition deficits. Nevertheless, neurobiological mechanisms of the anterior insula for social cognition remain elusive. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap. METHODS To determine the role of the anterior insula in social cognition, the authors manipulated expression of Cyp26B1, an anterior insula-enriched molecule that is crucial for retinoic acid degradation and is involved in the pathology of neuropsychiatric conditions. Social cognition was mainly assayed using the three-chamber social interaction test. Multimodal analyses were conducted at the molecular, cellular, circuitry, and behavioral levels. RESULTS At the molecular and cellular level, anterior insula-mediated social novelty recognition is maintained by proper activity of the layer 5 pyramidal neurons, for which retinoic acid-mediated gene transcription can play a role. The authors also demonstrate that oxytocin influences the anterior insula-mediated social novelty recognition, although not by direct projection of oxytocin neurons, nor by direct diffusion of oxytocin to the anterior insula, which contrasts with the modes of oxytocin regulation onto the posterior insula. Instead, oxytocin affects oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, where serotonergic neurons are projected to the anterior insula. Furthermore, the authors show that serotonin 5-HT2C receptor expressed in the anterior insula influences social novelty recognition. CONCLUSIONS The anterior insula plays a pivotal role in social novelty recognition that is partly regulated by a local retinoic acid cascade but also remotely regulated by oxytocin via a long-range circuit mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Hong Kim
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Kyongman An
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Ho Namkung
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Atsushi Saito
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Matthew D Rannals
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - James R Moore
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Marina Mihaljevic
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Sneha Saha
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Seyun Oh
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Mari A Kondo
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Kun Yang
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Brady J Maher
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Minae Niwa
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Akira Sawa
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
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Paletta P, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of oxytocin in shaping complex social behaviours: possible interactions with other neuromodulators. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210058. [PMID: 35858107 PMCID: PMC9272141 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This review explores the role of oxytocin in the mediation of select social behaviours, with particular emphasis on female rodents. These behaviours include social recognition, social learning, pathogen detection and avoidance, and maternal care. Specific brain regions where oxytocin has been shown to directly mediate various aspects of these social behaviours, as well as other proposed regions, are discussed. Possible interactions between oxytocin and other regulatory systems, in particular that of oestrogens and dopamine, in the modulation of social behaviour are considered. Similarities and differences between males and females are highlighted. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Paletta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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Grieb ZA, Lonstein JS. Oxytocin interactions with central dopamine and serotonin systems regulate different components of motherhood. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210062. [PMID: 35858105 PMCID: PMC9272149 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of oxytocin in maternal caregiving and other postpartum behaviours has been studied for more than five decades. How oxytocin interacts with other neurochemical systems to enact these behavioural changes, however, is only slowly being elucidated. The best-studied oxytocin-neurotransmitter interaction is with the mesolimbic dopamine system, and this interaction is essential for maternal motivation and active caregiving behaviours such as retrieval of pups. Considerably less attention has been dedicated to investigating how oxytocin interacts with central serotonin to influence postpartum behaviour. Recently, it has become clear that while oxytocin-dopamine interactions regulate the motivational and pup-approach aspects of maternal caregiving behaviours, oxytocin-serotonin interactions appear to regulate nearly all other aspects including postpartum nursing, aggression, anxiety-like behaviour and stress coping strategy. Collectively, oxytocin's interactions with central dopamine and serotonin systems are thus critical for the entire suite of behavioural adaptations exhibited in the postpartum period, and these sites of interaction are potential pharmacological targets for where oxytocin could help to ameliorate deficits in maternal caregiving and poor postpartum mental health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Grieb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Joseph S. Lonstein
- Psychology Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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7
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Ferris CF. Applications in Awake Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:854377. [PMID: 35450017 PMCID: PMC9017993 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.854377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous publications on methods and applications for awake functional MRI across different species, e.g., voles, rabbits, cats, dogs, and rhesus macaques. Each of these species, most obviously rhesus monkey, have general or unique attributes that provide a better understanding of the human condition. However, much of the work today is done on rodents. The growing number of small bore (≤30 cm) high field systems 7T- 11.7T favor the use of small animals. To that point, this review is primarily focused on rodents and their many applications in awake function MRI. Applications include, pharmacological MRI, drugs of abuse, sensory evoked stimuli, brain disorders, pain, social behavior, and fear.
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Eslinger PJ, Anders S, Ballarini T, Boutros S, Krach S, Mayer AV, Moll J, Newton TL, Schroeter ML, de Oliveira-Souza R, Raber J, Sullivan GB, Swain JE, Lowe L, Zahn R. The neuroscience of social feelings: mechanisms of adaptive social functioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:592-620. [PMID: 34089764 PMCID: PMC8388127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Social feelings have conceptual and empirical connections with affect and emotion. In this review, we discuss how they relate to cognition, emotion, behavior and well-being. We examine the functional neuroanatomy and neurobiology of social feelings and their role in adaptive social functioning. Existing neuroscience literature is reviewed to identify concepts, methods and challenges that might be addressed by social feelings research. Specific topic areas highlight the influence and modulation of social feelings on interpersonal affiliation, parent-child attachments, moral sentiments, interpersonal stressors, and emotional communication. Brain regions involved in social feelings were confirmed by meta-analysis using the Neurosynth platform for large-scale, automated synthesis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Words that relate specifically to social feelings were identfied as potential research variables. Topical inquiries into social media behaviors, loneliness, trauma, and social sensitivity, especially with recent physical distancing for guarding public and personal health, underscored the increasing importance of social feelings for affective and second person neuroscience research with implications for brain development, physical and mental health, and lifelong adaptive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Eslinger
- Departments of Neurology, Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Radiology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| | - Silke Anders
- Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Tommaso Ballarini
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sydney Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Sören Krach
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Annalina V Mayer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Translational Psychiatry Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tamara L Newton
- University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Matthias L Schroeter
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), BR Hospital Universitario, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jacob Raber
- Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gavin B Sullivan
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK
| | - James E Swain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Roland Zahn
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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Breastfeeding and maternal attachment during infancy period among Jordanian mothers: A cross-sectional study. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021; 66:102395. [PMID: 34094527 PMCID: PMC8167187 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.102395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The aim of the current study was to examine the following hypotheses: 1. Mothers who breastfeed their infants from 2 to 12 months of age or who use a mixed-feeding method after birth will demonstrate greater attachment toward their infants than mothers who only formula-feed their infants, as measured by the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI). 2. A difference in maternal attachment levels will be observed between mothers who exclusively formula-feed their infants and those who exclusively breastfeed their infants from 2 to 12 months of age, as measured by the MAI inventory, controlling for infant temperament. Method A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative method was applied in different healthcare centers in Jordan from May 2016 to August 2016 in which the MAI inventory was employed to assess 258 Arabic-speaking mothers. One-way analysis of variance was used to detect the differences in maternal attachment between mothers using different feeding methods. Results The findings showed significant differences in maternal attachment between exclusive breastfeeding and exclusive formula-feeding mothers, and mixed-feeding mothers at 2 months (F = 24.36, P < .01). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in maternal attachment between the breastfeeding and the formula-feeding group (F = 24.358, p < .05) after holding temperament constant. Conclusion The results of this current study may help to clarify one role of breastfeeding in shaping a mother's attachment. Healthcare providers need to understand the influences of these variables on maternal attachment and attachment to empower young mothers and counsel them appropriately. Poor maternal attachment could lead to insecure infant attachment. Healthcare providers need to understand the influences of some factors on maternal attachment. Significant difference in maternal attachment between the breastfeeding and the formula-feeding mothers.
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10
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A Scientometric Approach to Review the Role of the Medial Preoptic Area (MPOA) in Parental Behavior. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11030393. [PMID: 33804634 PMCID: PMC8003755 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11030393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Research investigating the neural substrates underpinning parental behaviour has recently gained momentum. Particularly, the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been identified as a crucial region for parenting. The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of publications from 1 January 1972 to 19 January 2021 using CiteSpace software to determine trends in the scientific literature exploring the relationship between MPOA and parental behaviour. In total, 677 scientific papers were analysed, producing a network of 1509 nodes and 5498 links. Four major clusters were identified: “C-Fos Expression”, “Lactating Rat”, “Medial Preoptic Area Interaction” and “Parental Behavior”. Their content suggests an initial trend in which the properties of the MPOA in response to parental behavior were studied, followed by a growing attention towards the presence of a brain network, including the reward circuits, regulating such behavior. Furthermore, while attention was initially directed uniquely to maternal behavior, it has recently been extended to the understanding of paternal behaviors as well. Finally, although the majority of the studies were conducted on rodents, recent publications broaden the implications of previous documents to human parental behavior, giving insight into the mechanisms underlying postpartum depression. Potential directions in future works were also discussed.
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11
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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.
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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
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12
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Yu ZX, Li XY, Xu XH. Neural Circuit Mechanisms That Underlie Parental Care. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1284:49-62. [PMID: 32852740 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-7086-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, parental care is essential for the survival of the young; therefore, it is vitally important to the propagation of the species. These behaviors, differing between the two sexes, are innate, stereotyped, and are also modified by an individual's reproductive experience. These characteristics suggest that neural mechanisms underlying parental behaviors are genetically hardwired, evolutionarily conserved as well as sexually differentiated and malleable to experiential changes. Classical lesion studies on neural control of parental behaviors, mostly done in rats, date back to the 1950s. Recent developments of new methods and tools in neuroscience, which allow precise targeting and activation/inhibition of specific populations of neurons and their projections to different brain structures, have afforded fresh opportunities to dissect and delineate the detailed neural circuit mechanisms that govern distinct components of parental behaviors in the genetically tractably organism, the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus). In this review, we summarize recent discoveries using modern neurobiological tools within the context of traditional lesion studies. In addition, we discuss interesting cross talk between neural circuits that govern parent care with those that regulate other innate behaviors such as feeding and mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Xian Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Yu Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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13
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Rincón-Cortés M, Grace AA. Adaptations in reward-related behaviors and mesolimbic dopamine function during motherhood and the postpartum period. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100839. [PMID: 32305528 PMCID: PMC7531575 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Initiation and maintenance of maternal behavior is driven by a complex interaction between the physiology of parturition and offspring stimulation, causing functional changes in maternal brain and behavior. Maternal behaviors are among the most robust and rewarding motivated behaviors. Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system alterations during pregnancy and the postpartum enable enhanced reward-related responses to offspring stimuli. Here, we review behavioral evidence demonstrating postpartum rodents exhibit a bias towards pups and pup-related stimuli in reward-related tasks. Next, we provide an overview of normative adaptations in the mesolimbic DA system induced by parturition and the postpartum, which likely mediate shifts in offspring valence. We also discuss a causal link between dopaminergic dysfunction and disrupted maternal behaviors, which are recapitulated in postpartum depression (PPD) and relevant rodent models. In sum, mesolimbic DA system activation drives infant-seeking behavior and strengthens the mother-infant bond, potentially representing a therapeutic target for reward-related deficits in PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, United States.
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, United States
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14
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Hoekzema E, Tamnes CK, Berns P, Barba-Müller E, Pozzobon C, Picado M, Lucco F, Martínez-García M, Desco M, Ballesteros A, Crone EA, Vilarroya O, Carmona S. Becoming a mother entails anatomical changes in the ventral striatum of the human brain that facilitate its responsiveness to offspring cues. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 112:104507. [PMID: 31757430 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In mothers, offspring cues are associated with a powerful reinforcing value that motivates maternal care. Animal studies show that this is mediated by dopamine release into the nucleus accumbens, a core component of the brain's reward system located in the ventral striatum (VStr). The VStr is also known to respond to infant signals in human mothers. However, it is unknown whether pregnancy modifies the anatomy or functionality of this structure, and whether such modifications underlie its strong reactivity to offspring cues. Therefore, we analyzed structural and functional neuroimaging data from a unique pre-conception prospective cohort study involving first-time mothers investigated before and after their pregnancy as well as nulliparous control women scanned at similar time intervals. First, we delineated the anatomy of the VStr in each subject's neuroanatomical space and examined whether there are volumetric changes in this structure across sessions. Then, we tested if these changes could predict the mothers' brain responses to visual stimuli of their infants. We found decreases in the right VStr and a trend for left VStr reductions in the women who were pregnant between sessions compared to the women who were not. Furthermore, VStr volume reductions across pregnancy were associated with infant-related VStr responses in the postpartum period, with stronger volume decreases predicting stronger functional activation to offspring cues. These findings provide the first indications that the transition to motherhood renders anatomical adaptations in the VStr that promote the strong responsiveness of a mother's reward circuit to cues of her infant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elseline Hoekzema
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Puck Berns
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Erika Barba-Müller
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marisol Picado
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Magdalena Martínez-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Spain
| | | | - Eveline A Crone
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar Vilarroya
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
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15
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The blockade of oxytocin receptors in the paraventricular thalamus reduces maternal crouching behavior over pups in lactating mice. Neurosci Lett 2020; 720:134761. [PMID: 31952987 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) systems contribute to the elicitation of stereotypic maternal behaviors. OT peptide-expressing neurons are predominantly localized in the hypothalamus, whereas OT receptor (OTR)-expressing neurons are widely distributed throughout the brain. Among those OTR-expressing regions, the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) consists of heterogeneous neuropeptide-responsive neurons critical for appetitive motivation, food intake control, and social behaviors; however, the precise distribution of OTR-expressing neurons within the PVT and whether these neurons are involved in maternal behaviors in mice are unknown. The distribution of OTR-expressing neurons was examined in an OTR-Venus transgenic line expressing a fluorescent protein controlled by the OTR promoter. The number of Venus expressing neurons was higher in the posterior PVT (pPVT) than in the anterior PVT (aPVT). When OTR-Venus dams were exposed to pups, the number of double-labelled neurons expressing both OTR-Venus and a marker of neuronal activity (c-Fos) was increased in the pPVT compared to non-exposed dams, while the aPVT remained unchanged. To investigate whether OT signaling in the pPVT is essential for maternal behaviors, an OT antagonist (OTA) was transiently or chronically infused into the pPVT of lactating dams during the postpartum period. Although the transient OTR blockade did not affect maternal behaviors, a chronic OTR blockade specifically reduced the duration of crouching behavior over pups. Taken together, these findings suggest that OTR-expressing neurons in the pPVT are involved in maternal crouching behavior.
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16
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Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Moll J. Moral Motivation and the Basal Forebrain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:207-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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17
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Fu Y, Depue RA. A novel neurobehavioral framework of the effects of positive early postnatal experience on incentive and consummatory reward sensitivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:615-640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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18
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Lara-Cinisomo S, D'Anna-Hernandez K, Fujimoto EM, Pedersen CA. Exploring associations between perinatal depression, anxiety, and urinary oxytocin levels in Latinas. Arch Womens Ment Health 2019; 22:447-455. [PMID: 30191332 PMCID: PMC7141787 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal depression has been associated with lower oxytocin (OT) levels. However, few studies have explored this topic in relation to Latinas who are at high risk of perinatal depression. The objective of this study was to explore these associations in Latinas. A total of 108 Latinas in the third trimester of pregnancy participated in the study. Depression and urinary OT levels were assessed in pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum. Nonparametric tests were implemented to test the proposed associations. Results revealed that 28% of the participants had probable depression in pregnancy, and 23% at 6 weeks postpartum. OT levels significantly decreased from prenatal to postpartum in the whole sample; however, participants with probable prenatal depression did not exhibit a significant change in OT levels. Participants who were depressed or anxious at 6 weeks postpartum exhibited persistently higher mean OT levels over time. A distinct pattern of higher levels of OT in depressed Latinas suggests that OT levels may be an important neuroendocrine factor contributing to depressive and anxious symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo
- College of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth Street, Champaign, IL, USA.
| | - Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA, 92096, USA
| | - Elinor M Fujimoto
- College of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth Street, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Cort A Pedersen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Hospitals, 101 Manning Dr., Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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19
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Lang DLY, Bamshad M, Dorcely R. Pattern of fos activation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of male prairie vole's (Microtus ochrogaster) in response to infant-related stimuli. Brain Res 2019; 1714:119-125. [PMID: 30822390 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Prairie voles are socially monogamous mammals that form pair bonds and display paternal care. This study was focused on the male prairie vole's neuronal responses to infant-related odors. Using the fos protein as a measure of neuronal activation, we examined the brain responses of males to infant-related odors. Prior to testing, the subjects had cohabited for two weeks with either a male sibling (Male-Cohabited) or an unrelated female (Female-Cohabited). Given that paternal behavior of male prairie voles is enhanced after two-weeks of cohabitation with a mate, we hypothesized that fos activation in brain regions involved in caring must be increased in response to infants or their odors but not in response to water or sub-adult odors. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the pattern of fos expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BNST) two hours after Male-Cohabited and Female-Cohabited males were exposed to either two live infants or to odors of infants, sub-adults or water. Results showed differences in fos expression within the VTA between Male-Cohabited and Female-Cohabited subjects that were exposed to infants and infant odors. The type of cohabitation had no effect on fos expression within the BNST, but the pattern of fos activation in this region differed by the type of odor to which the subjects were exposed. Together, the data indicate that female sensory cues during post-mating cohabitation may be processed within the VTA to direct the male prairie vole's responses towards infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damaris-Lois Yamoah Lang
- Department of Natural Sciences, The City University Of New York - Hostos CC, Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451, United States.
| | - Maryam Bamshad
- Department of Biological Sciences, The City University Of New York - Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd, Bronx, NY 10468, United States.
| | - Reginald Dorcely
- Department of Mathematics, The City University Of New York - Hostos CC, Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451, United States.
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20
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Clinical potential of oxytocin in autism spectrum disorder: current issues and future perspectives. Behav Pharmacol 2019; 29:1-12. [PMID: 28857771 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The effects of oxytocin on social cognition and behavior have recently attracted considerable attention. In particular, oxytocin has been proposed as a novel therapeutic for psychiatric disorders with social deficits such as autism spectrum disorders. This review provides a brief overview of behavioral and neural responses to oxytocin manipulations in humans and animal models. Although the differences in findings between human and animal studies should be interpreted carefully, shared behavioral phenotypes have been recognized, such as social bonding, social responses, and recognition and usage of social cues. Previous literature suggests that the neural effects of oxytocin in humans and animals overlap in the prefrontal, limbic, and paralimbic cortices. Oxytocin-induced alterations in these regions may indicate a fundamental basis for how oxytocin modulates social behaviors and facilitate the discovery of new pharmaceutical targets for treating social deficits.
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21
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Valtcheva S, Froemke RC. Neuromodulation of maternal circuits by oxytocin. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 375:57-68. [PMID: 30062614 PMCID: PMC6336509 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2883-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Motherhood in mammals involves tremendous changes throughout the body and central nervous system, which support attention and nurturing of infants. Maternal care consists of complex behaviors, such as nursing and protection of the offspring, requiring new mothers to become highly sensitive to infant needs. Long-lasting neural plasticity in various regions of the cerebral cortex may enable the perception and recognition of infant cues, important for appropriate caregiving responses. Recent findings have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin is involved in a number of physiological processes, including parturition and lactation and dynamically shaping neuronal responses to infant stimuli as well. Here, we review experience-dependent changes within the cortex occurring throughout motherhood, focusing on plasticity of the somatosensory and auditory cortex. We outline the role of oxytocin in gating cortical plasticity and discuss potential mechanisms regulating oxytocin release in response to different sensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Valtcheva
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Scholar, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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22
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Nishina K, Takagishi H, Fermin ASR, Inoue-Murayama M, Takahashi H, Sakagami M, Yamagishi T. Association of the oxytocin receptor gene with attitudinal trust: role of amygdala volume. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:1091-1097. [PMID: 30202991 PMCID: PMC6204480 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that genetic variations in rs53576, a common variant of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) resulting from a single nucleotide polymorphism involving an adenine (A)/guanine (G) transition, are associated with attitudinal trust in men. However, the pathway from gene to behaviour has not been elucidated. We conducted the present study to determine whether amygdala volume mediates the association between OXTR rs53576 genotypes and attitudinal trust. Our results revealed that the left amygdala volume was significantly smaller in GG men than in AA and AG men, whereas it was significantly smaller in AA and AG women than in GG women. In addition, the left amygdala volume was negatively associated with attitudinal trust in men, whereas there was no such association in women. We also found a significant mediation effect of the left amygdala volume on the association between OXTR rs53576 genotypes and attitudinal trust in men. The results of our study suggest that the left amygdala volume plays a pivotal role in the association between OXTR rs53576 genotypes and attitudinal trust in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuniyuki Nishina
- Graduate School of Brain Sciences, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruto Takagishi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - A S R Fermin
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miho Inoue-Murayama
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masamichi Sakagami
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshio Yamagishi
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tamagawagakuen, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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23
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Dobolyi A, Cservenák M, Young LJ. Thalamic integration of social stimuli regulating parental behavior and the oxytocin system. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 51:102-115. [PMID: 29842887 PMCID: PMC6175608 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Critically important components of the maternal neural circuit in the preoptic area robustly activated by suckling were recently identified. In turn, suckling also contributes to hormonal adaptations to motherhood, which includes oxytocin release and consequent milk ejection. Other reproductive or social stimuli can also trigger the release of oxytocin centrally, influencing parental or social behaviors. However, the neuronal pathways that transfer suckling and other somatosensory stimuli to the preoptic area and oxytocin neurons have been poorly characterized. Recently, a relay center of suckling was determined and characterized in the posterior intralaminar complex of the thalamus (PIL). Its neurons containing tuberoinfundibular peptide 39 project to both the preoptic area and oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus. The present review argues that the PIL is a major relay nucleus conveying somatosensory information supporting maternal behavior and oxytocin release in mothers, and may be involved more generally in social cue evoked oxytocin release, too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpad Dobolyi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Melinda Cservenák
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
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24
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Olazábal DE. Role of oxytocin in parental behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12594. [PMID: 29603440 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
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25
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Julian MM, Rosenblum KL, Doom JR, Leung CYY, Lumeng JC, Cruz MG, Vazquez DM, Miller AL. Oxytocin and parenting behavior among impoverished mothers with low vs. high early life stress. Arch Womens Ment Health 2018; 21:375-382. [PMID: 29168023 PMCID: PMC5943180 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-017-0798-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent work suggests that key aspects of sensitive parenting (e.g., warmth, emotional attunement) may be shaped in part by biology, specifically the neuropeptide oxytocin. However, some studies have found that oxytocin may not act in expected ways in higher-risk populations (e.g., those with postnatal depression or borderline personality disorder). This study examined the relation between oxytocin and parenting among mothers with varying levels of early life stress. Forty low-income mothers and their 34- to 48-month-old child participated in this study. Mother-child dyads were observed in an interaction task in their home, and videos of these interactions were later coded for parenting behaviors. Mothers' oxytocin production before and after the interaction task was assessed through saliva. Mothers' early stress was assessed via the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACES; Felitti et al. Am J Prev Med 14:245-258, 1998). For mothers with low ACEs, higher oxytocin secretion was associated with more positive parenting. For mothers with high ACEs, higher oxytocin secretion was associated with lower levels of positive parenting. Oxytocin may be operating differently for mothers who experienced harsh early social environments, supporting more defensive behaviors and harsh parenting than anxiolytic and prosocial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Julian
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Katherine L. Rosenblum
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Jenalee R. Doom
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Christy Y. Y. Leung
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Julie C. Lumeng
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | | | - Delia M. Vazquez
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Alison L. Miller
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Cascio CJ, Moore D, McGlone F. Social touch and human development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 35:5-11. [PMID: 29731417 PMCID: PMC6968965 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Social touch is a powerful force in human development, shaping social reward, attachment, cognitive, communication, and emotional regulation from infancy and throughout life. In this review, we consider the question of how social touch is defined from both bottom-up and top-down perspectives. In the former category, there is a clear role for the C-touch (CT) system, which constitutes a unique submodality that mediates affective touch and contrasts with discriminative touch. Top-down factors such as culture, personal relationships, setting, gender, and other contextual influences are also important in defining and interpreting social touch. The critical role of social touch throughout the lifespan is considered, with special attention to infancy and young childhood, a time during which social touch and its neural, behavioral, and physiological contingencies contribute to reinforcement-based learning and impact a variety of developmental trajectories. Finally, the role of social touch in an example of disordered development –autism spectrum disorder—is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carissa J Cascio
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Human Development, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - David Moore
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool, UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool, UK; University of Liverpool, Institute of Psychology Health & Society, Liverpool, UK
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Nephew BC, Febo M, Huang W, Colon-Perez LM, Payne L, Poirier GL, Greene O, King JA. Early life social stress and resting state functional connectivity in postpartum rat anterior cingulate circuits. J Affect Disord 2018; 229:213-223. [PMID: 29324369 PMCID: PMC5807174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Continued development and refinement of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) fMRI techniques in both animal and clinical studies has enhanced our comprehension of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. The objective of the current study was to assess both maternal behavior and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes in these animals when they were dams caring for their own young. It was hypothesized that ECSS exposed dams would express depressed maternal care and exhibit similar (same networks), yet different specific changes in RSFC (different individual nuclei) than reported when they were adult females. METHODS We have developed an ethologically relevant transgenerational model of the role of chronic social stress (CSS) in the etiology of postpartum depression and anxiety. Initial fMRI investigation of the CSS model indicates that early life exposure to CSS (ECSS) induces long term changes in functional connectivity in adult nulliparous female F1 offspring. RESULTS ECSS in F1 dams resulted in depressed maternal care specifically during early lactation, consistent with previous CSS studies, and induced changes in functional connectivity in regions associated with sensory processing, maternal and emotional responsiveness, memory, and the reward pathway, with robust changes in anterior cingulate circuits. LIMITATIONS The sample sizes for the fMRI groups were low, limiting statistical power. CONCLUSION This behavioral and functional neuroanatomical foundation can now be used to enhance our understanding of the neural etiology of early life stress associated disorders and test preventative measures and treatments for stress related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Owen Greene
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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28
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Schneider NY, Datiche F, Coureaud G. Brain anatomy of the 4-day-old European rabbit. J Anat 2018; 232:747-767. [PMID: 29441579 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a widely used model in fundamental, medical and veterinary neurosciences. Besides investigations in adults, rabbit pups are relevant to study perinatal neurodevelopment and early behaviour. To date, the rabbit is also the only species in which a pheromone - the mammary pheromone (MP) - emitted by lactating females and active on neonatal adaptation has been described. The MP is crucial since it contributes directly to nipple localisation and oral seizing in neonates, i.e. to their sucking success. It may also be one of the non-photic cues arising from the mother, which stimulates synchronisation of the circadian system during pre-visual developmental stages. Finally, the MP promotes neonatal odour associative and appetitive conditioning in a remarkably rapid and efficient way. For these different reasons, the rabbit offers a currently unique opportunity to determine pheromonal-induced brain processing supporting adaptation early in life. Therefore, it is of interest to create a reference work of the newborn rabbit pup brain, which may constitute a tool for future multi-disciplinary and multi-approach research in this model, and allow comparisons related to the neuroethological basis of social and feeding behaviour among newborns of various species. Here, in line with existing experimental studies, and based on original observations, we propose a functional anatomical description of brain sections in 4-day-old rabbits with a particular focus on seven brain regions which appear important for neonatal perception of sensory signals emitted by the mother, circadian adaptation to the short and single daily nursing of the mother in the nest, and expression of specific motor actions involved in nipple localisation and milk intake. These brain regions involve olfactory circuits, limbic-related areas important in reward, motivation, learning and memory formation, homeostatic areas engaged in food anticipation, and regions implicated in circadian rhythm and arousal, as well as in motricity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanette Y Schneider
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation (Research Center for Taste and Feeding Behavior), CNRS UMR, 6265, INRA 1324, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Frédérique Datiche
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation (Research Center for Taste and Feeding Behavior), CNRS UMR, 6265, INRA 1324, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Gérard Coureaud
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (Lyon Neuroscience Research Center) INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Hubble K, Daughters K, Manstead ASR, Rees A, Thapar A, van Goozen SHM. Oxytocin increases attention to the eyes and selectively enhances self-reported affective empathy for fear. Neuropsychologia 2017; 106:350-357. [PMID: 29055680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) has previously been implicated in a range of prosocial behaviors such as trust and emotion recognition. Nevertheless, recent studies have questioned the evidence for this link. In addition, there has been relatively little conclusive research on the effect of OXT on empathic ability and such studies as there are have not examined the mechanisms through which OXT might affect empathy, or whether OXT selectively facilitates empathy for specific emotions. In the current study, we used eye-tracking to assess attention to socially relevant information while participants viewed dynamic, empathy-inducing video clips, in which protagonists expressed sadness, happiness, pain or fear. In a double-blind, within-subjects, randomized control trial, 40 healthy male participants received 24 IU intranasal OXT or placebo in two identical experimental sessions, separated by a 2-week interval. OXT led to an increase in time spent fixating upon the eye-region of the protagonist's face across emotions. OXT also selectively enhanced self-reported affective empathy for fear, but did not affect cognitive or affective empathy for other emotions. Nevertheless, there was no positive relationship between eye-gaze patterns and affective empathy, suggesting that although OXT influences eye-gaze and may enhance affective empathy for fear, these two systems are independent. Future studies need to further examine the effect of OXT on eye-gaze to fully ascertain whether this can explain the improvements in emotional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aled Rees
- Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Anita Thapar
- Institute of Psychological Medicinal and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
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Dumais KM, Kulkarni PP, Ferris CF, Veenema AH. Sex differences in neural activation following different routes of oxytocin administration in awake adult rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 81:52-62. [PMID: 28412582 PMCID: PMC5497485 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) regulates social behavior in sex-specific ways across species. OT has promising effects on alleviating social deficits in sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders. However little is known about potential sexually dimorphic effects of OT on brain function. Using the rat as a model organism, we determined whether OT administered centrally or peripherally induces sex differences in brain activation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensity changes in the brains of awake rats during the 20min following intracerebroventricular (ICV; 1μg/5μl) or intraperitoneal (IP; 0.1mg/kg) OT administration as compared to baseline. ICV OT induced sex differences in BOLD activation in 26 out of 172 brain regions analyzed, with 20 regions showing a greater volume of activation in males (most notably the nucleus accumbens and insular cortex), and 6 regions showing a greater volume of activation in females (including the lateral and central amygdala). IP OT also elicited sex differences in BOLD activation with a greater volume of activation in males, but this activation was found in different and fewer (10) brain regions compared to ICV OT. In conclusion, exogenous OT modulates neural activation differently in male versus female rats with the pattern and magnitude, but not the direction, of sex differences depending on the route of administration. These findings highlight the need to include both sexes in basic and clinical studies to fully understand the role of OT on brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA, 02467
| | - Praveen P. Kulkarni
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA, 02115
| | - Craig F. Ferris
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA, 02115
| | - Alexa H. Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA, 02467
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31
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Galbusera A, De Felice A, Girardi S, Bassetto G, Maschietto M, Nishimori K, Chini B, Papaleo F, Vassanelli S, Gozzi A. Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin Modulate Divergent Brainwide Functional Substrates. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1420-1434. [PMID: 27995932 PMCID: PMC5436116 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) have been identified as modulators of emotional social behaviors and associated with neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction. Experimental and therapeutic use of OXT and AVP via the intranasal route is the subject of extensive clinical research. However, the large-scale functional substrates directly engaged by these peptides and their functional dynamics remain elusive. By using cerebral blood volume (CBV) weighted fMRI in the mouse, we show that intranasal administration of OXT rapidly elicits the transient activation of cortical regions and a sustained activation of hippocampal and forebrain areas characterized by high oxytocin receptor density. By contrast, intranasal administration of AVP produced a robust and sustained deactivation in cortico-parietal, thalamic and mesolimbic regions. Importantly, intravenous administration of OXT and AVP did not recapitulate the patterns of modulation produced by intranasal dosing, supporting a central origin of the observed functional changes. In keeping with this notion, hippocampal local field potential recordings revealed multi-band power increases upon intranasal OXT administration. We also show that the selective OXT-derivative TGOT reproduced the pattern of activation elicited by OXT and that the deletion of OXT receptors does not affect AVP-mediated deactivation. Collectively, our data document divergent modulation of brainwide neural systems by intranasal administration of OXT and AVP, an effect that involves key substrates of social and emotional behavior. The observed divergence calls for a deeper investigation of the systems-level mechanisms by which exogenous OXT and AVP modulate brain function and exert their putative therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Stefano Girardi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giacomo Bassetto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Maschietto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Bice Chini
- CNR, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy,Department of Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN), Italy,Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto (TN) 38068, Italy, Tel: +39 04648028701, E-mail:
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Teodoro LC, Cabral LDM, Vilela FC, Giusti-Paiva A. P2 purinergic receptor antagonists disrupt maternal behavior in lactating rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 158:1-6. [PMID: 28522214 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of purinergic signaling in several brain functions has been recognized, but the modulation on maternal behavior by the purinergic system is not established, even though there are functional interactions between the purinergic and oxytocinergic systems. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate whether central administration of P2 receptor antagonists affected the maternal behavior of lactating rats and c-Fos immunoreactivity in the forebrain. On day 7 of lactation, female rats were treated with vehicle (5μL; i.c.v.), suramin (9.4-75.0μg/5μL; i.c.v.) or PPADS (9.4-75.0μg/5μL; i.c.v.) 30min before the experiment began. The maternal behavior was evaluated during the 30min following suramin or PPADS administration. In addition, c-Fos-positive nuclei were counted in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and neurons that were double-labeled for c-Fos/OT were counted in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus of lactating rats. The results show that P2 receptor antagonists decreased maternal care and decreased neuronal activation in the MPOA and BNST and activation of oxytocinergic neurons in hypothalamic nuclei. Our results indicate that the purinergic system modulates maternal behavior and neuronal activation induced by suckling during lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana C Teodoro
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas-MG, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Layla D M Cabral
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas-MG, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Fabiana C Vilela
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas-MG, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Giusti-Paiva
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas-MG, Alfenas, Brazil.
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Karisetty BC, Khandelwal N, Kumar A, Chakravarty S. Sex difference in mouse hypothalamic transcriptome profile in stress-induced depression model. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 486:1122-1128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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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.
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Abstract
Social signals are identified through processing in sensory systems to trigger appropriate behavioral responses. Social signals are received primarily in most mammals through the olfactory system. Individuals are recognized based on their unique blend of odorants. Such individual recognition is critical to distinguish familiar conspecifics from intruders and to recognize offspring. Social signals can also trigger stereotyped responses like mating behaviors. Specific sensory pathways for individual recognition and eliciting stereotyped responses have been identified both in the early olfactory system and its connected cortices. Oxytocin is emerging as a major state modulator of sensory processing with distinct functions in early and higher olfactory brain regions. The brain state induced through Oxytocin influences social perception. Oxytocin acting on different brain regions can promote either exploration and recognition towards same- or other-sex conspecifics, or association learning. Region-specific deletion of Oxytocin receptors suffices to disrupt these behaviors. Together, these recent insights highlight that Oxytocin's function in social behaviors cannot be understood without considering its actions on sensory processing.
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36
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Ito J, Fujiwara T, Monden Y, Yamagata T, Ohira H. Association of Oxytocin and Parental Prefrontal Activation during Reunion with Infant: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Front Pediatr 2017; 5:271. [PMID: 29326909 PMCID: PMC5741682 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2017.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have revealed the role of oxytocin (OT) in parental behavior, the role of OT has not been investigated through the direct assessment of prefrontal brain activation during parenting. By using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we aimed to show the relationship between parental [maternal (N = 15) and paternal (N = 21)] OT levels and the activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), while holding their infants after separation. Baseline OT levels were measured in the subjects' saliva samples before the experiment. Prefrontal brain activation was assessed in participants sitting alone on a chair (i.e., separation from their infant for 120 s) and during the target period (i.e., holding their infant for 45 s), which was done in triplicate. The oxygen hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) dissociation curve significantly increased in 9 out of 22 channels on the PFC when maternal and paternal samples were combined. However, only the fathers showed a correlation between salivary OT and oxy-Hb signal. Furthermore, while holding their infants, high-OT fathers showed left hemispheric dominance compared to low-OT fathers, while high-OT mothers showed right hemispheric dominance compared to low-OT mothers. This study showed that fathers with high-OT levels showed neural activation with left hemispheric dominance, while holding their infants, suggesting that increase of OT level might activate paternal PFC related to parenting behavior, although the same is not true for mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ito
- Department of Pediatrics, Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takeo Fujiwara
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Social Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukifumi Monden
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Takanori Yamagata
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohira
- Department of Psychology, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Behavioral, pharmacological and neuroanatomical analysis of serotonin 2C receptor agonism on maternal behavior in rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 73:252-262. [PMID: 27566488 PMCID: PMC5048576 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
As a highly motivated social behavior, maternal behavior in rats has been routinely used to study psychoactive drugs for clinical, neuroscience and pharmacological purposes. Recent evidence indicates that acute activation of serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptors causes a disruption of rat maternal behavior. The present study was designed to elucidate the behavioral, pharmacological mechanisms and neuroanatomical basis of this 5-HT2C effect. First, we replicated the finding that acute MK212 injection (2.0mg/kg, a highly selective 5-HT2C agonist) disrupts maternal behavior, especially on pup retrieval. Interestingly, this disruption was significantly attenuated by 4-h pup separation (a procedure putatively increased maternal motivation). MK212 also suppressed food retrieval, indicating that it has a general effect on motivated behaviors. Second, we showed that MK212 disrupts maternal behavior by specifically activating 5-HT2C receptor, as pretreatment with a 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB242084 (0.6 and 1.0mg/kg) alleviated MK212-induced disruption on pup retrieval. Third, we microinjected MK212 into various brain regions implicated in the regulation of maternal behavior: nucleus accumbens shell (25, 75, 250ng/0.5μl/side), medial prefrontal cortex (25 and 250ng, 1, 2 and 5μg/0.5μl/side), and medial preoptic area (MPOA, 75ng, 1 and 5μg/0.5μl/side). Pup retrieval and other maternal responses were not affected by any of these manipulations. Finally, we used c-Fos immunohistochemistry to identify the central mechanisms of the acute and repeated MK212 effects on maternal behavior. Acute MK212 (2.0mg/kg) disrupted pup retrieval and concurrently decreased c-Fos expression in the ventral part of lateral septal nucleus (LSv), MPOA, dentate gyrus (DG) and dorsal raphe (DR), but increased it in the central amygdala (CeA). Five days of repeated MK212 (2.0mg/kg) treatment produced a persistent disruption of pup retrieval and only decreased c-Fos expression in the DR. These findings not only confirm a role of 5-HT2C receptor in rat maternal behavior, but also suggest that the coordinated 5-HT2C activity in various limbic (e.g., LSv, DG, CeA), hypothalamic regions (e.g., MPOA) and brainstem areas (e.g. DR), is likely involved in the mediation of important psychological processes (e.g. motor function, motivation) necessary for the normal expression of maternal behavior.
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Wang J, Liu C, Ma Y. Parents induced- conditioned place preference and the neuronal expression of oxytocin and tyrosine hydroxylase in preweanling female pups. Behav Brain Res 2016; 317:528-535. [PMID: 27746207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Parents-offspring bonding is critical for development of offspring in mammals. While it is known that pups stimuli provide rewarding effects on their parents, few studies have assessed whether parental stimuli serve as a reinforcing agent to their pups, and what the neural mechanisms underlying this reward process may be. In addition to maternal care, male ICR mice display pairmate-dependent parental behavior. Using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, we examined the effects of maternal and paternal conditioning on the postnatal day 17-21 female ICR mice pups, and compared the expression of oxytocin (OT)- and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)- immunoreactive (IR) neurons. We found that the pups established dam- or sire- induced CPP when using mother conditioning (MC) or father conditioning (FC) alone. However, the pups failed to show any preference when using mother versus father conditioning (MFC). Compared to the control group, the MC and MFC groups displayed more OT-IR neurons in the supraoptic nucleus and more TH-IR neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The FC group showed more TH-IR neurons in the VTA compared to the control group, but there were no significant differences in OT-IR neurons. These findings indicate that female ICR mice pups may establish mother- or father- induced CPP. The underpinnings of preference for parents are associated with the activity of VTA dopaminergic neurons, and the preference of pups for mother in particular appears to be associated with OT levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan 750021, China.
| | - Chaobao Liu
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Yongping Ma
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan 750021, China
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39
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Gammie SC, Driessen TM, Zhao C, Saul MC, Eisinger BE. Genetic and neuroendocrine regulation of the postpartum brain. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 42:1-17. [PMID: 27184829 PMCID: PMC5030130 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Changes in expression of hundreds of genes occur during the production and function of the maternal brain that support a wide range of processes. In this review, we synthesize findings from four microarray studies of different maternal brain regions and identify a core group of 700 maternal genes that show significant expression changes across multiple regions. With those maternal genes, we provide new insights into reward-related pathways (maternal bonding), postpartum depression, social behaviors, mental health disorders, and nervous system plasticity/developmental events. We also integrate the new genes into well-studied maternal signaling pathways, including those for prolactin, oxytocin/vasopressin, endogenous opioids, and steroid receptors (estradiol, progesterone, cortisol). A newer transcriptional regulation model for the maternal brain is provided that incorporates recent work on maternal microRNAs. We also compare the top 700 genes with other maternal gene expression studies. Together, we highlight new genes and new directions for studies on the postpartum brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Gammie
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Terri M Driessen
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael C Saul
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian E Eisinger
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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40
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Leuner B, Sabihi S. The birth of new neurons in the maternal brain: Hormonal regulation and functional implications. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 41:99-113. [PMID: 26969795 PMCID: PMC4942360 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The maternal brain is remarkably plastic and exhibits multifaceted neural modifications. Neurogenesis has emerged as one of the mechanisms by which the maternal brain exhibits plasticity. This review highlights what is currently known about peripartum-associated changes in adult neurogenesis and the underlying hormonal mechanisms. We also consider the functional consequences of neurogenesis in the peripartum brain and extent to which this process may play a role in maternal care, cognitive function and postpartum mood. Finally, while most work investigating the effects of parenting on adult neurogenesis has focused on mothers, a few studies have examined fathers and these results are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Leuner
- The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology, Columbus, OH, USA; The Ohio State University, Department of Neuroscience, Columbus, OH, USA; The Ohio State University, Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Group, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Sara Sabihi
- The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology, Columbus, OH, USA
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41
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Nephew BC, Murgatroyd C, Pittet F, Febo M. Brain Reward Pathway Dysfunction in Maternal Depression and Addiction: A Present and Future Transgenerational Risk. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 1:105-116. [PMID: 27617302 PMCID: PMC5013732 DOI: 10.17756/jrds.2015-017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Two research areas that could benefit from a greater focus on the role of the reward pathway are maternal depression and maternal addiction. Both depression and addiction in mothers are mediated by deficiencies in the reward pathway and represent substantial risks to the health of offspring and future generations. This targeted review discusses maternal reward deficits in depressed and addicted mothers, neural, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms, and the transgenerational transmission of these deficits from mother to offspring. Postpartum depression and drug use disorders may entail alterations in the reward pathway, particularly in striatal and prefrontal areas, which may affect maternal attachment to offspring and heighten the risk of transgenerational effects on the oxytocin and dopamine systems. Alterations may involve neural circuitry changes, genetic factors that impact monoaminergic neurotransmission, as well as growth factors such as BDNF and stress-associated signaling in the brain. Improved maternal reward-based preventative measures and treatments may be specifically effective for mothers and their offspring suffering from depression and/or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
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42
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Piallini G, De Palo F, Simonelli A. Parental brain: cerebral areas activated by infant cries and faces. A comparison between different populations of parents and not. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1625. [PMID: 26539154 PMCID: PMC4612645 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Literature about parenting traditionally focused on caring behaviors and parental representations. Nowadays, an innovative line of research, interested in evaluating the neural areas and hormones implicated in the nurturing and caregiving responses, has developed. The only way to permit a newborn to survive and grow up is to respond to his needs and in order to succeed it is necessary, first of all, that the adults around him understand what his needs are. That is why adults' capacity of taking care of infants cannot disregard from some biological mechanisms, which allow them to be more responsive to the progeny and to infants in general. Many researches have proved that exist specific neural basis activating in response to infant evolutionary stimuli, such as infant cries and infant emotional facial expression. There is a sort of innate predisposition in human adults to respond to infants' signals, in order to satisfy their need and allow them to survive and become young adults capable of taking care of themselves. This article focuses on research that has investigated, in the last decade, the neural circuits underlying parental behavioral responses. Moreover, the paper compares the results of those studies that investigated the neural responses to infant stimuli under different conditions: familiar versus unknown children, parents versus non-parents and normative versus clinical samples (depression, addiction, adolescence, and PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of PaduaPadua, Italy
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43
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Ferris CF, Yee JR, Kenkel WM, Dumais KM, Moore K, Veenema AH, Kulkarni P, Perkybile AM, Carter CS. Distinct BOLD Activation Profiles Following Central and Peripheral Oxytocin Administration in Awake Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:245. [PMID: 26441574 PMCID: PMC4585275 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of literature has suggested that intranasal oxytocin (OT) or other systemic routes of administration can alter prosocial behavior, presumably by directly activating OT sensitive neural circuits in the brain. Yet there is no clear evidence that OT given peripherally can cross the blood-brain barrier at levels sufficient to engage the OT receptor. To address this issue we examined changes in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensity in response to peripheral OT injections (0.1, 0.5, or 2.5 mg/kg) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in awake rats imaged at 7.0 T. These data were compared to OT (1 μg/5 μl) given directly to the brain via the lateral cerebroventricle. Using a 3D annotated MRI atlas of the rat brain segmented into 171 brain areas and computational analysis, we reconstructed the distributed integrated neural circuits identified with BOLD fMRI following central and peripheral OT. Both routes of administration caused significant changes in BOLD signal within the first 10 min of administration. As expected, central OT activated a majority of brain areas known to express a high density of OT receptors, e.g., lateral septum, subiculum, shell of the accumbens, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. This profile of activation was not matched by peripheral OT. The change in BOLD signal to peripheral OT did not show any discernible dose-response. Interestingly, peripheral OT affected all subdivisions of the olfactory bulb, in addition to the cerebellum and several brainstem areas relevant to the autonomic nervous system, including the solitary tract nucleus. The results from this imaging study do not support a direct central action of peripheral OT on the brain. Instead, the patterns of brain activity suggest that peripheral OT may interact at the level of the olfactory bulb and through sensory afferents from the autonomic nervous system to influence brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig F Ferris
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Jason R Yee
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University , Boston, MA , USA ; Kinsey Institute, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN , USA
| | | | - Kelly Marie Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College , Chestnut Hill, MA , USA
| | - Kelsey Moore
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College , Chestnut Hill, MA , USA
| | - Praveen Kulkarni
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University , Boston, MA , USA
| | | | - C Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University , Bloomington, IN , USA
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44
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Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Aggressive Responding in Antisocial Personality Disorder. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2015; 65:691-703. [PMID: 27022201 DOI: 10.1007/s40732-015-0139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor is important in several domains of social behavior, and administration of oxytocin modulates social responding in several mammalian species, including humans. Oxytocin has both therapeutic and scientific potential for elucidating the neural and behavioral mechanisms governing social behavior. In the present study, operationally-defined aggressive behavior of six males with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) was measured following acute intranasal oxytocin dosing (12, 24, and 48 international units) and placebo, using a well-validated laboratory task of human aggression (Point-Subtraction Aggression Paradigm, or PSAP). The PSAP provides participants with concurrently available monetary-earning and operationally-defined aggressive response options, maintained by fixed ratio schedules of consequences. Shifts in response rates and inter-response time (IRT) distributions were observed on the aggressive response option following oxytocin doses, relative to placebo. Few changes were observed in monetary-reinforced responding. However, across participants the direction and magnitude of changes in aggressive responding were not systematically related to dose. No trends were observed between psychometric or physiological data and oxytocin dosing or aggressive behavior. While this report is to our knowledge the first to examine the acute effects of oxytocin in this population at high risk for violence and other forms of antisocial behavior, several limitations in the experimental design and the results cast the study as a preliminary report. Strategies for more extensive future projects are discussed.
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45
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McHenry JA, Rubinow DR, Stuber GD. Maternally responsive neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic area: Putative circuits for regulating anxiety and reward. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 38:65-72. [PMID: 25910426 PMCID: PMC4853820 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Postpartum neuropsychiatric disorders are a major source of morbidity and mortality and affect at least 10% of childbearing women. Affective dysregulation within this context has been identified in association with changes in reproductive steroids. Steroids promote maternal actions and modulate affect, but can also destabilize mood in some but not all women. Potential brain regions that mediate these effects include the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST). Herein, we review the regulation of neural activity in the mPOA/vBNST by environmental and hormonal concomitants in puerperal females. Such activity may influence maternal anxiety and motivation and have significant implications for postpartum affective disorders. Future directions for research are also explored, including physiological circuit-level approaches to gain insight into the functional connectivity of hormone-responsive maternal circuits that modulate affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna A McHenry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Postdoctoral Training Program in Reproductive Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
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46
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Lonstein JS, Lévy F, Fleming AS. Common and divergent psychobiological mechanisms underlying maternal behaviors in non-human and human mammals. Horm Behav 2015; 73:156-85. [PMID: 26122301 PMCID: PMC4546863 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Maternal interactions with young occupy most of the reproductive period for female mammals and are absolutely essential for offspring survival and development. The hormonal, sensory, reward-related, emotional, cognitive and neurobiological regulators of maternal caregiving behaviors have been well studied in numerous subprimate mammalian species, and some of the importance of this body of work is thought to be its relevance for understanding similar controls in humans. We here review many of the important biopsychological influences on maternal behaviors in the two best studied non-human animals, laboratory rats and sheep, and directly examine how the conceptual framework established by some of the major discoveries in these animal "models" do or do not hold for our understanding of human mothering. We also explore some of the limits for extrapolating from non-human animals to humans. We conclude that there are many similarities between non-human and human mothers in the biological and psychological factors influencing their early maternal behavior and that many of the differences are due to species-characteristic features related to the role of hormones, the relative importance of each sensory system, flexibility in what behaviors are exhibited, the presence or absence of language, and the complexity of cortical function influencing caregiving behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Neuroscience Program, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Psychology, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA-CNRS-Université de Tours IFCE, Nouzilly 37380, France.
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
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47
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Johnson SA, Javurek AB, Painter MS, Peritore MP, Ellersieck MR, Roberts RM, Rosenfeld CS. Disruption of parenting behaviors in california mice, a monogamous rodent species, by endocrine disrupting chemicals. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126284. [PMID: 26039462 PMCID: PMC4454565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature and extent of care received by an infant can affect social, emotional and cognitive development, features that endure into adulthood. Here we employed the monogamous, California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), a species, like the human, where both parents invest in offspring care, to determine whether early exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC: bisphenol A, BPA; ethinyl estradiol, EE) of one or both parents altered their behaviors towards their pups. Females exposed to either compound spent less time nursing, grooming and being associated with their pups than controls, although there was little consequence on their weight gain. Care of pups by males was less affected by exposure to BPA and EE, but control, non-exposed females appeared able to “sense” a male partner previously exposed to either compound and, as a consequence, reduced their own parental investment in offspring from such pairings. The data emphasize the potential vulnerability of pups born to parents that had been exposed during their own early development to EDC, and that effects on the male, although subtle, also have consequences on overall parental care due to lack of full acceptance of the male by the female partner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Johnson
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - Angela B. Javurek
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - Michele S. Painter
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Peritore
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - Mark R. Ellersieck
- Agriculture Experimental Station-Statistics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - R. Michael Roberts
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
| | - Cheryl S. Rosenfeld
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Dölen G. Oxytocin: parallel processing in the social brain? J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:516-35. [PMID: 25912257 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Early studies attempting to disentangle the network complexity of the brain exploited the accessibility of sensory receptive fields to reveal circuits made up of synapses connected both in series and in parallel. More recently, extension of this organisational principle beyond the sensory systems has been made possible by the advent of modern molecular, viral and optogenetic approaches. Here, evidence supporting parallel processing of social behaviours mediated by oxytocin is reviewed. Understanding oxytocinergic signalling from this perspective has significant implications for the design of oxytocin-based therapeutic interventions aimed at disorders such as autism, where disrupted social function is a core clinical feature. Moreover, identification of opportunities for novel technology development will require a better appreciation of the complexity of the circuit-level organisation of the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gül Dölen
- Department of Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Wendy Klag Center for Developmental Disabilities and Autism, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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49
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Lippard ETC, Jarrett TM, McMurray MS, Zeskind PS, Garber KA, Zoghby CR, Glaze K, Tate W, Johns JM. Early postpartum pup preference is altered by gestational cocaine treatment: associations with infant cues and oxytocin expression in the MPOA. Behav Brain Res 2015; 278:176-85. [PMID: 25300467 PMCID: PMC4382406 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cross-fostering studies suggest cocaine-induced deficits in maternal behavior could be associated with altered behavior of offspring following prenatal cocaine-exposure. Neonatal vocalizations are an important offspring cue facilitating early interactions between dam and rodent pup offspring and have been shown to be altered following prenatal cocaine-exposure. It is unclear how variations in acoustic parameters of USVs impact maternal behavior and the mechanism(s) underlying these processes. The present study examined differences in cocaine-exposed and control rodent dam maternal preference of cocaine-exposed or untreated pups in a dual choice apparatus. Relationship of preference-like behavior with pup USVs and dam oxytocin expression was explored. Gestational cocaine-exposure interfered with preference-like behavior of dams on postpartum day 1 with cocaine-exposure associated with decreased time spent on the cocaine-exposed pup side compared to the control pup side, and decreases in preference-like behavior associated in part with decreased number of USVs being emitted by cocaine-exposed pups. On postpartum day 5, decreased oxytocin expression in the medial preoptic area was associated with altered preference-like behavior in cocaine-exposed dams, including frequency and latency to touch/sniff pups. Results indicate cocaine's effects on the mother-infant relationship is likely synergistic, in that cocaine influences mother and offspring both independently and concertedly and that variations within pup vocalizations and the oxytocin system may be potential mechanism(s) underlying this synergistic relationship during the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- E T Cox Lippard
- University of North Carolina, Curriculum in Neurobiology, United States; University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - T M Jarrett
- University of North Carolina, Curriculum in Neurobiology, United States; University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, United States; University of North Carolina, MD-PhD Program, United States
| | - M S McMurray
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - P S Zeskind
- Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - K A Garber
- Levine Children's Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - C R Zoghby
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - K Glaze
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - W Tate
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychology, United States
| | - J M Johns
- University of North Carolina, Curriculum in Neurobiology, United States; University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, United States; University of North Carolina, Department of Psychology, United States.
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Stamatakis A, Kalpachidou T, Raftogianni A, Zografou E, Tzanou A, Pondiki S, Stylianopoulou F. Rat dams exposed repeatedly to a daily brief separation from the pups exhibit increased maternal behavior, decreased anxiety and altered levels of receptors for estrogens (ERα, ERβ), oxytocin and serotonin (5-HT1A) in their brain. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 52:212-28. [PMID: 25486578 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we investigated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying expression of maternal behavior. Increased maternal behavior was experimentally induced by a brief 15-min separation between the mother and the pups during postnatal days 1 to 22. On postnatal days (PND) 12 and 22, we determined in experimental and control dams levels of anxiety in the elevated plus maze (EPM) as well as the levels of receptors for estrogens (ERα, ERβ), oxytocin (OTR) and serotonin (5-HT1AR) in areas of the limbic system (prefrontal cortex-PFC, hippocampus, lateral septum-SL, medial preoptic area-MPOA, shell of nucleus accumbens-nAc-Sh, central-CeA and basolateral-BLA amygdala), involved in the regulation of maternal behavior. Experimental dams, which showed increased maternal behavior towards their offspring, displayed reduced anxiety in the EPM on both PND12 and PND22. These behavioral differences could be attributed to neurochemical alterations in their brain: On both PND12 and PND22, experimental mothers had higher levels of ERα and OTRs in the PFC, hippocampus, CeA, SL, MPOA and nAc-Sh. The experimental manipulation-induced increase in ERβ levels was less widespread, being localized in PFC, the hippocampal CA2 area, MPOA and nAc-Sh. In addition, 5-HT1ARs were reduced in the PFC, hippocampus, CeA, MPOA and nAc-Sh of the experimental mothers. Our results show that the experience of the daily repeated brief separation from the pups results in increased brain ERs and OTRs, as well as decreased 5-HT1ARs in the dam's brain; these neurochemical changes could underlie the observed increase in maternal behavior and the reduction of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Theodora Kalpachidou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Androniki Raftogianni
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratia Zografou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Tzanou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Stavroula Pondiki
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Fotini Stylianopoulou
- Biology-Biochemistry Lab, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Papadiamantopoulou 123, GR-11527 Athens, Greece.
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