Maternal behavior: activation of the central oxytocin receptor system in parturient rats?

Lin, Shi Hua; Kiyohara, Toshikazu; Sun, Bai Tao

doi:10.1097/00001756-200308060-00007

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Estrogens have been shown to increase both prolactin receptor and OTR expression or affinity (3,33), which might explain the facilitating effect of estrogens on ma- on May 12, 2018 by guest http://mcb.asm.org/ ternal care. It has also been shown that rat strains with good mothering qualities express more OTRs in the MPOA than other strains (7,11) and that parturition enhances c-fos and fosB expression in OTR-positive hypothalamic neurons (20). These findings suggest that OTR-mediated activation or modulation of MPOA neurons play a central role in the induction of maternal care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Wettschureck

Moers

Hämäläinen

et al. 2004

Molecular and Cellular Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Heterotrimeric G proteins of the G q/11 family transduce signals from a variety of neurotransmitter receptors and have therefore been implicated in several functions of the central nervous system. To investigate the potential role of G q/11 signaling in behavior, we generated mice which lack the ␣-subunits of the two main members of the G q/11 family, G␣ q and G␣ 11 , selectively in the forebrain. We show here that forebrain G␣ q/11 -deficient females do not display any maternal behavior such as nest building, pup retrieving, crouching, or nursing. However, olfaction, motor behavior and mammary gland function are normal in forebrain G␣ q/11 -deficient females. We used c-fos immunohistochemistry to investigate pup-induced neuronal activation in different forebrain regions and found a significant reduction in the medial preoptic area, the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and the lateral septum both in postpartum females and in virgin females after foster pup exposure. Pituitary function, especially prolactin release, was normal in forebrain G␣ q/11 -deficient females, and activation of oxytocin receptor-positive neurons in the hypothalamus did not differ between genotypes. Our findings show that G q/11 signaling is indispensable to the neuronal circuit that connects the perception of pup-related stimuli to the initiation of maternal behavior and that this defect cannot be attributed to either reduced systemic prolactin levels or impaired activation of oxytocin receptor-positive neurons of the hypothalamus.The survival of newborn mammals and birds critically depends on effective parental care. Mammals giving birth for the first time show full expression of maternal behavior immediately after parturition, and it is believed that both pregnancy related hormonal changes and sensory stimuli such as pup smell, vocalization, or physical contact play a role in the induction of nest building, pup retrieving, crouching, and nursing (17, 34). Several brain regions were shown to be involved in these behaviors, such as the medial preoptic area (MPOA) or the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) (26), and pharmacological experiments indicated that hormones such as prolactin, oxytocin, and sex steroids may mediate the induction of maternal behavior (12,16,25). However, data from mouse mutants did not fully confirm these findings since neither inactivation of the oxytocin gene (24) nor inactivation of the prolactin gene (14) led to an impairment of maternal care. On the other hand, mice lacking the prolactin receptor (22, 32) or the norepinephrine-synthesizing enzyme dopamine-␤-hydroxylase (39) are clearly impaired in maternal behavior. These studies suggest that different transmitter systems act in concert to induce full maternal behavior and that the loss of one system can be compensated for by parallel mechanisms. Since many of the involved hormones and neurotransmitters act through or are released under the control of receptors that couple to the G q/11 family of heterotrimeric G proteins, we investigated the function of...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Wettschureck

Moers

Hämäläinen

et al. 2004

Molecular and Cellular Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Parturition induces Fos immunoreactivity in OTR-immunoreactive neurons within the rat piriform cortex (Lin et al, 2003). Furthermore, fMRI shows activation of the piriform cortex by suck- Figure 8.…”

Section: Piriform Cortexmentioning

confidence: 98%

Telencephalic binding sites for oxytocin and social organization: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole‐rats and solitary cape mole‐rats

Κalamatianos

Faulkes

Oosthuizen

et al. 2010

J of Comparative Neurology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

African mole-rats provide a unique taxonomic group for investigating the evolution and neurobiology of sociality. The two species investigated here display extreme differences in social organization and reproductive strategy. Naked mole-rats (NMRs) live in colonies, dominated by a queen and her consorts; most members remain nonreproductive throughout life but cooperate in burrowing, foraging, and caring for pups, for which they are not biological parents (alloparenting). In contrast, Cape mole-rats (CMRs) are solitary and intolerant of conspecifics, except during fleeting seasonal copulation or minimal maternal behavior. Research on other mammals suggests that oxytocin receptors at various telencephalic sites regulate social recognition, monogamous pair bonding, and maternal/allomaternal behavior. Current paradigms in this field derive from monogamous and polygamous species of New World voles, which are evolutionarily remote from Old World mole-rats. The present findings indicate that NMRs exhibit a considerably greater level of oxytocin receptor (OTR) binding than CMRs in the: nucleus accumbens; indusium griseum; central, medial, and cortical amygdaloid nuclei; bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; and CA1 hippocampal subfield. In contrast, OTR binding in the piriform cortex is intense in CMRs but undetectable in NMRs. We speculate that the abundance of OTR binding and oxytocin-neurophysin-immunoreactive processes in the nucleus accumbens of NMRs reflects their sociality, alloparenting behavior, and potential for reproductive attachments. In contrast, the paucity of oxytocin and its receptors at this site in CMRs may reflect a paucity of prosocial behaviors. Whether similarities in OTR expression between eusocial mole-rats and monogamous voles are due to gene conservation or convergent evolution remains to be determined.

show abstract

“…For example, it has been documented that there is an increase in the level of corticosterone (Atkinson and Waddell, 1995), hippocampal spine densities, and activation of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems during the postpartum period (Caba et al, 1996; Lin et al, 2003). Recently, interest has emerged to investigate the effect of parenthood on adult neurogenesis (Leuner et al, 2010a; Levy et al, 2011).…”

Section: Effect Of Adult–offspring Interactions On Adult Neurogenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Social Environment and Neurogenesis in the Adult Mammalian Brain

Lieberwirth

Wang

2012

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Adult neurogenesis – the formation of new neurons in adulthood – has been shown to be modulated by a variety of endogenous (e.g., trophic factors, neurotransmitters, and hormones) as well as exogenous (e.g., physical activity and environmental complexity) factors. Research on exogenous regulators of adult neurogenesis has focused primarily on the non-social environment. More recently, however, evidence has emerged suggesting that the social environment can also affect adult neurogenesis. The present review details the effects of adult–adult (e.g., mating and chemosensory interactions) and adult–offspring (e.g., gestation, parenthood, and exposure to offspring) interactions on adult neurogenesis. In addition, the effects of a stressful social environment (e.g., lack of social support and dominant–subordinate interactions) on adult neurogenesis are reviewed. The underlying hormonal mechanisms and potential functional significance of adult-generated neurons in mediating social behaviors are also discussed.

show abstract

Maternal behavior: activation of the central oxytocin receptor system in parturient rats?

Cited by 26 publications

References 24 publications

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Telencephalic binding sites for oxytocin and social organization: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole‐rats and solitary cape mole‐rats

The Social Environment and Neurogenesis in the Adult Mammalian Brain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Maternal behavior: activation of the central oxytocin receptor system in parturient rats?

Cited by 26 publications

References 24 publications

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the Gq/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the Gq/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Telencephalic binding sites for oxytocin and social organization: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole‐rats and solitary cape mole‐rats

The Social Environment and Neurogenesis in the Adult Mammalian Brain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice

Heterotrimeric G Proteins of the G_q/11 Family Are Crucial for the Induction of Maternal Behavior in Mice