Food availability as a determinant of the rats' circadian rhythm in maternal behavior

Stern, Judith M.; Levin, Robert D.

doi:10.1002/dev.420090206

Cited by 32 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…We found evidence that the arousal-inducing peptide HCRT may be generally and specifically involved in maternal behavior regulation using double-labeling techniques. Nocturnal rodent dams spend a large part of the normal daytime hours attending to the needs of the offspring; however, feeding still mostly occurs at night (Grota & Ader, 1969;Leon & Woodside, 1983;Levin & Stern, 1975;Stern & Levin, 1976). We found that daytime activity of neurons containing HCRT showed elevated activity (as assessed through Fos immunoreactivity) in lactating dams compared to virgin mice (Espana, Berridge, & Gammie, 2004).…”

Section: Fine Mapping With Fos and Other Indirect Markers Of Neuronalmentioning

confidence: 70%

Current Models and Future Directions for Understanding the Neural Circuitries of Maternal Behaviors in Rodents

Gammie

2005

Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews

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Maternal behaviors in rodents include a number of subcomponents, such as nursing, nest building, licking and grooming of pups, pup retrieval, and maternal aggression. Because each behavior involves a unique motor pattern, a unique ensemble neural circuitry must underlie each behavior. To what extent there is overlap in terms of brain regions and specific neurons for each circuit is being actively investigated. This review will first examine overlapping and separate components of pup retrieval and maternal aggression circuitries while examining a central role for medial preoptic area (MPA) in both behaviors. With an emphasis on experimental approaches, the review will then highlight recent findings and propose future directions for understanding maternal behavior regulation. Finally, examples for why studying the neural basis of maternal behaviors can bring insights to other areas of neuroscience, such as feeding, addiction, and anxiety and aggression regulation will be provided.

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Section: Fine Mapping With Fos and Other Indirect Markers Of Neuronalmentioning

confidence: 70%

Current Models and Future Directions for Understanding the Neural Circuitries of Maternal Behaviors in Rodents

Gammie

2005

Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews

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“…Light phase measures were taken because maternal aggression levels do not change during the active or inactive phase of the daily photo cycle (N.S. Hasen, S.C. Gammie, in preparation) and mice show high levels of active maternal behaviors in normal light phase [32; 42; 43; 80]. Each test session was recorded on videotape and subsequently analyzed off-line to quantify maternal behaviors and anxiety-like behaviors by individuals blind to testing conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

GABAA receptor signaling in caudal periaqueductal gray regulates maternal aggression and maternal care in mice

Lee

Gammie

2010

Behavioural Brain Research

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Maternal aggression (maternal defense) is exhibited by lactating females towards intruders and contributes to the protection of offspring. Enhancement of GABA A receptor signaling by benzodiazepines elevates maternal aggression, and we previously found indirect evidence (via cFos immunhistochemistry) that caudal periaqueductal gray (cPAG) and lateral septum (LS) could be sites where benzodiazepines increase aggression. We recently found that GABA A receptor signaling in LS modulates maternal aggression, and in this study, we tested the hypothesis that GABA A receptor signaling in cPAG also regulates this behavior. Site-directed injections to cPAG were made in lactating mice using the GABA A receptor antagonist, bicuculline (3-9 ng) or the GABA A receptor positive modulator, chlordiazepoxide (CDP), a benzodiazepine (2.5-20 µg). Maternal aggression, other maternal behaviors, and anxiety-like measures (using the light-dark box) were then examined. GABA A receptor positive modulator did not increase aggression, which could have resulted from a ceiling effect. However, 8 ng and 9 ng of bicuculline in cPAG significantly decreased maternal aggression without altering other maternal behaviors or light-dark box performance, suggesting some GABA A receptor signaling in cPAG is required for full maternal aggression expression. Additionally, 7 ng of bicuculline significantly increased licking/ grooming of pups, and decreased the number of transitions between the light and dark compartments of the light-dark box without affecting aggression. Given these results indicating that antagonizing GABA A -receptor in cPAG dose-dependently promotes offspring grooming behavior while impairing aggression, it is possible that the cPAG represents a key site for decision making (aggression versus other behaviors) in the lactating female.

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“…Ultramild stress paradigms use a variety of randomized stressors (such as 30 degree cage tilt, reversed light cycle, confinement, overnight illumination, and soiled cage) over several days, and the importance of individual components is unclear. It is likely that reversed light cycle and overnight illumination directly affect maternal care independent of any stress effects, as maternal care in rats has a circadian rhythm (Stern and Levin 1976). Exposure to wet bedding during lactation was reported to decrease nursing frequency during the dark period, but it is possible that there was no difference in the duration of nursing between the control and wet bedding groups if the stressed females had longer nursing bouts (Léonhardt et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of chronic social stress during lactation on maternal behavior and growth in rats

Nephew

Bridges

2011

Stress

107

114

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Maternal mood disorders such as depression and chronic anxiety can negatively affect the lives of not only mothers, but also of partners, offspring, and future generations. Chronic exposure to psychosocial stress is common in postpartum mothers, and one of the strongest predictors of postpartum depression is social conflict. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of chronic social stress (CSS) during lactation on the maternal behavior (which consists of maternal care and aggression toward a novel conspecific) of lactating rats, as well as on the growth of the dams and their offspring. It was hypothesized that chronic daily exposure to a novel male intruder would alter the display of maternal behavior and impair growth in both the dam and offspring during lactation due to the potentially disruptive effects on maternal behavior and/or lactation. The data indicate that CSS during lactation attenuates maternal care and the growth of both dams and pups, and increases self-grooming and maternal aggression toward a novel male intruder. These results support the use of CSS as a relevant model for disorders that impair maternal behavior and attenuate growth of the offspring, such as postpartum depression and anxiety.

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Food availability as a determinant of the rats' circadian rhythm in maternal behavior

Cited by 32 publications

References 20 publications

Current Models and Future Directions for Understanding the Neural Circuitries of Maternal Behaviors in Rodents

Current Models and Future Directions for Understanding the Neural Circuitries of Maternal Behaviors in Rodents

GABAA receptor signaling in caudal periaqueductal gray regulates maternal aggression and maternal care in mice

Effects of chronic social stress during lactation on maternal behavior and growth in rats

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