Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Modulates Maternal Aggression in Rats: Effects of Ibotenic Acid Lesion and Oxytocin Antisense

Giovenardi, Márcia; Padoin, Maristela J.; Cadore, Luciana P.; Lucion, Aldo Bolten

doi:10.1016/s0031-9384(97)00434-4

Cited by 117 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our findings are also in agreement with a study by Consiglio and Lucion (1996), who demonstrated that electrolytic lesions of the PVN reduced various components of maternal aggression. In contrast, ibotenic acid lesions of the parvocellular part of the PVN or local inhibition of oxytocin synthesis resulted in increased bite frequency of rat dams against a male intruder (Giovenardi et al, 1998), although in this context the contribution of locally released oxytocin in the PVN or central projection sites remains unknown.…”

Section: Maternal Aggression and Brain Oxytocinmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Electrolytic lesions of the PVN reduced maternal aggression (Consiglio and Lucion, 1996), and enhanced oxytocin release was recently reported within the PVN of lactating Wistar rats during the maternal defense test (Bosch et al, 2004). Also, pharmacological manipulation of the oxytocin system within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) or the parvocellular division of the PVN elicits changes in maternal aggression (Giovenardi et al, 1998;Johns et al, 1998;Elliott et al, 2001;Lubin et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Brain Oxytocin Correlates with Maternal Aggression: Link to Anxiety

Bosch

Meddle²,

Beiderbeck³

et al. 2005

J. Neurosci.

375

307

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The oxytocinergic system is critically involved in the regulation of maternal behavior, which includes maternal aggression. Because aggression has been linked to anxiety, we investigated the maternal aggression and the role of brain oxytocin in lactating Wistar rats selectively bred for high anxiety-related behavior (HAB) or low anxiety-related behavior (LAB) during the 10 min maternal defense test. HAB dams displayed more maternal aggression against a virgin intruder compared with LAB dams, resulting in more defensive behavior and higher anxiety of HAB-defeated virgins. The different levels of aggression were accompanied by opposite oxytocin release patterns within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN; HAB, increase; LAB, decrease). ]OVT) into the PVN or CeA reduced maternal aggression of HAB dams, whereas infusion of synthetic oxytocin into the PVN tended to increase aggression toward the intruder in LAB dams. There were no significant differences in oxytocin receptor mRNA expression or oxytocin receptor binding between lactating HAB and LAB dams. Therefore, differences in intracerebral release patterns of oxytocin, rather than differences at the level of oxytocin receptors, are critical for the regulation of maternal aggressive behavior.

show abstract

Section: Maternal Aggression and Brain Oxytocinmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Brain Oxytocin Correlates with Maternal Aggression: Link to Anxiety

Bosch

Meddle²,

Beiderbeck³

et al. 2005

J. Neurosci.

375

307

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Oxytocin-rich projections from the parvocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus to the amygdala (Consiglio and Lucion 1996;Giovenardi et al 1998;Lonstein and Gammie 2002) compose one neurobiological pathway that may mediate normal levels of maternal aggression. Oxytocin administered directly into either the central nucleus of the amygdala or bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has been shown to decrease MA in the postpartum period (Consiglio et al 2005), whereas oxytocin antagonists infused into the central nucleus of the amygdala can dramatically increase MA to the extent that it becomes mal-adaptive (Lubin et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Oxytocin administered directly into either the central nucleus of the amygdala or bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has been shown to decrease MA in the postpartum period (Consiglio et al 2005), whereas oxytocin antagonists infused into the central nucleus of the amygdala can dramatically increase MA to the extent that it becomes mal-adaptive (Lubin et al 2003). Furthermore, both ibotenic acid lesions of the paraventricular nucleus and oxytocin antisense administration into the paraventricular nucleus can also stimulate maternal aggression (Giovenardi et al 1998). Recently, it has also been suggested that amygdala oxytocin release, rather than oxytocin receptor modulation, may be responsible for changes in MA (Bosch et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intergenerational effects of cocaine on maternal aggressive behavior and brain oxytocin in rat dams

McMurray

Joyner

Middleton

et al. 2008

Stress

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gestational cocaine treatment results in significantly increased maternal aggression towards an intruder by postpartum day six, while acute postpartum treatment dose dependently decreases maternal aggressive (MA) behavior. Both increased and decreased aggression in the cocainetreated dams are correlated with either decreased or increased levels of oxytocin in the amygdala, respectively. The current study was an effort to determine whether the effect of gestational cocaine on maternal aggression is transient or would continue into the postpartum period; whether an intermittent cocaine treatment regimen, which incorporates gestational and postpartum intermittent cocaine treatment, would differ from chronic daily gestational treatment; and finally, whether next generation female offspring of cocaine-treated or control dams would have altered MA behavior and oxytocin system changes attributable to either prenatal drug exposure, rearing condition or both. We now report no increase in maternal aggression following chronic gestational treatment and significantly lower levels of aggression in intermittently treated dams on postpartum day eight, with no significant effects in either group on postpartum day 12. Young adult female offspring of the cocaine-treated and control dams, who reared their own natural litters and were tested on postpartum day eight for maternal aggression, had higher levels of maternal aggression towards an intruder attributable to both prenatal cocaine exposure and rearing condition. Higher aggression in cocaine-reared next generation dams was associated with lower levels of oxytocin in the amygdala. Intergenerational effects of cocaine were apparent with respect to aggression and oxytocin system changes.

show abstract

“…In this study and in other studies from this laboratory (3,29,30) using the same rat strain, no pup was attacked by the intruder. The behaviors of the females towards the intruder recorded during the maternal aggression tests have been described elsewhere (3,31), and can be briefly summarized as sniffing, lateral attack, frontal attack and biting.…”

Section: Behavior Recordingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pup age and aggressive behavior in lactating rats

Giovenardi

Consiglio

Barros

et al. 2000

Braz J Med Biol Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High levels of aggressive behaviors against intruders in the nest area are displayed by female rats during the first 10 days after delivery, declining thereafter to very low levels, even though lactation continues. Cross-fostering experiments were undertaken to test the hypothesis that pup age may affect aggression in lactating rats. The behavior of females on the 8th day after delivery when raising fostered 8-day-old pups was compared to that of females on the 8th postpartum day raising older pups (18 days old) for the last 5 days, and females on the 18th day after delivery raising fostered 18-day-old pups were compared to females in the same postpartum period nursing younger pups (8 days of age at the time of the maternal aggression test) for 5 days. Pup retrieval activity and plasma prolactin level were also analyzed. Females on the 8th postpartum day nursing 18-day-old pups were less aggressive than females in the same postpartum period, but with 8-day-old pups. Likewise, females on the 18th postpartum day nursing younger pups were more aggressive and presented higher levels of prolactin than females nursing older pups. Thus, pup development can alter the natural decline of maternal aggressive behavior.

show abstract

Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Modulates Maternal Aggression in Rats: Effects of Ibotenic Acid Lesion and Oxytocin Antisense

Cited by 117 publications

References 39 publications

Brain Oxytocin Correlates with Maternal Aggression: Link to Anxiety

Brain Oxytocin Correlates with Maternal Aggression: Link to Anxiety

Intergenerational effects of cocaine on maternal aggressive behavior and brain oxytocin in rat dams

Pup age and aggressive behavior in lactating rats

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About