Medial amygdala lesions modify aggressive behavior and immediate early gene expression in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons during intermale exposure

Wang, Yu; He, Zhiwei; Zhao, Chuansheng; Li, Lei

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2013.02.002

Cited by 54 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Both hormones and sex chromosomes have been implicated in contributing to this difference (Corre et al, 2014; Shah et al, 2004). The medial amygdala is known to be involved male reproductive behavior (Newman, 1999) and aggression (Wang et al, 2013), as well as social recognition in both sexes (Ferguson et al, 2001). The results in this study support findings in multiple species, indicating that structural differences in the amygdala are present in a sexually dimorphic pattern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vivo magnetic resonance images reveal neuroanatomical sex differences through the application of voxel-based morphometry in C57BL/6 mice

et al. 2017

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Behaviorally relevant sex differences are often associated with structural differences in the brain and many diseases are sexually dimorphic in prevalence and progression. Characterizing sex differences is imperative to gaining a complete understanding of behavior and disease which will, in turn, allow for a balanced approach to scientific research and the development of therapies. In this study, we generated novel tissue probability maps (TPMs) based on 30 male and 30 female in vivo C57BL/6 mouse brain magnetic resonance images and used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze sex differences. Females displayed larger anterior hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and lateral cerebellar cortex volumes, while males exhibited larger cerebral cortex, medial amygdala, and medial cerebellar cortex volumes. Atlas-based morphometry (ABM) revealed a statistically significant sex difference in cortical volume and no difference in whole cerebellar volume. This validated our VBM findings that showed a larger cerebral cortex in male mice and a pattern of dimorphism in the cerebellum where the lateral portion was larger in females and the medial portion was larger in males. These results are consonant with previous ex vivo studies examining sex differences, but also suggest further regions of interest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vivo magnetic resonance images reveal neuroanatomical sex differences through the application of voxel-based morphometry in C57BL/6 mice

et al. 2017

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“…MeA neurons are particularly active during fighting, mating and in response to male/female conspecific chemosensory cues, as evidenced by the induction of c-Fos [49,[60][61][62][63][64] and electrophysiology [65]. In addition, lesion studies have implicated the MeA in both mating [66], aggression [67][68][69][70] and rage-like behavior [71]. However, in case of aggression, the direction (increase, no effect and decrease) of these lesion effects remained equivocal.…”

Section: Afferent Connectionsmentioning

confidence: 95%

The neurobiology of offensive aggression: Revealing a modular view

Boer

Olivier

Veening

et al. 2015

Physiology & Behavior

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“…Particularly, the MeA plays a significant role in chemosensory information processing (15,16,33,34) as part of the social behavior network in the CNS (35). It relays socially meaningful signals to activate or inhibit various downstream brain sites, such as the MPOA, anterior hypothalamic area (AHA), and VMN, that are more directly involved in the execution of male sexual and aggressive behaviors (14,(36)(37)(38)(39)(40). Thus, incomplete masculinization of the MeA may cause an improper functioning of the neural circuitry for the expression of male-type social behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pubertal activation of estrogen receptor α in the medial amygdala is essential for the full expression of male social behavior in mice

Sato

Nakata

Musatov

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Testosterone plays a central role in the facilitation of male-type social behaviors, such as sexual and aggressive behaviors, and the development of their neural bases in male mice. The action of testosterone via estrogen receptor (ER) α, after being aromatized to estradiol, has been suggested to be crucial for the full expression of these behaviors. We previously reported that silencing of ERα in adult male mice with the use of a virally mediated RNAi method in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) greatly reduced sexual behaviors without affecting aggressive behaviors whereas that in the medial amygdala (MeA) had no effect on either behavior. It is well accepted that testosterone stimulation during the pubertal period is necessary for the full expression of male-type social behaviors. However, it is still not known whether, and in which brain region, ERα is involved in this developmental effect of testosterone. In this study, we knocked down ERα in the MeA or MPOA in gonadally intact male mice at the age of 21 d and examined its effects on the sexual and aggressive behaviors later in adulthood. We found that the prepubertal knockdown of ERα in the MeA reduced both sexual and aggressive behaviors whereas that in the MPOA reduced only sexual, but not aggressive, behavior. Furthermore, the number of MeA neurons was reduced by prepubertal knockdown of ERα. These results indicate that ERα activation in the MeA during the pubertal period is crucial for male mice to fully express their male-type social behaviors in adulthood.T estosterone plays a central role in the regulation of male-type social behaviors in many mammalian species. It is known that testosterone facilitates the expression of sexual and aggressive behaviors through two kinds of actions. During the developmental period, testosterone exerts its "organizational action" to irreversibly masculinize the sexually undifferentiated brain and build the male-type neural network. In adulthood, testosterone exerts "activational action" to regulate the function of the fully masculinized neural network. As well as acting through androgen receptors (ARs), testosterone also acts through estrogen receptor (ER) α or ERβ, after being aromatized to estradiol (E2). Because the expression of sexual and aggressive behaviors is greatly reduced in aromatase knockout (ArKO) and ERα knockout (αERKO) male mice, aromatization of testosterone and its action via ERα have been suggested to be crucial for the facilitation of male-type social behaviors in mice (1-8). However, the exact timing and brain site(s) of ERα activation crucial for the expression of sexual and aggressive behaviors remain undetermined.In our previous study, we demonstrated site-specific involvement of ERα in the activational action of testosterone by using a virally mediated RNAi method. In this study, knocking down of ERα in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of gonadally intact adult male mice suppressed sexual behavior while in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of hypothalamus reduced both sexual and aggressive behaviors...

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Medial amygdala lesions modify aggressive behavior and immediate early gene expression in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons during intermale exposure

Cited by 54 publications

References 44 publications

In vivo magnetic resonance images reveal neuroanatomical sex differences through the application of voxel-based morphometry in C57BL/6 mice

In vivo magnetic resonance images reveal neuroanatomical sex differences through the application of voxel-based morphometry in C57BL/6 mice

The neurobiology of offensive aggression: Revealing a modular view

Pubertal activation of estrogen receptor α in the medial amygdala is essential for the full expression of male social behavior in mice

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