Medial preoptic area and onset of maternal behavior in the rat.

Numan, Michael; Rosenblatt, Jay S.; Komisaruk, Barry R.

doi:10.1037/h0077304

Cited by 380 publications

(226 citation statements)

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“…The MPOA is importantly involved in the onset and maintenance of maternal care (15,22,(25)(26)(27), and local AVP-Rs have been described (31). Here, we found increased AVP-R binding within the MPOA in lactating compared with virgin rats (P Ͻ 0.05; Fig.…”

Section: Down-regulation Of Avp-r In the Mpoa Decreased Maternal Caresupporting

confidence: 58%

“…The MPOA is important for the onset and maintenance of maternal care, including retrieval of pups (15,22,(25)(26)(27). Within the MPOA, local AVP-Rs were found to be up-regulated during lactation (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S1a] (24), licking and grooming the pups (LG), the time dams spend in direct pup contact (dam on), and pup retrieval. To demonstrate the specific involvement of AVP-Rs and to localize the AVP-R-mediated effects on maternal behavior, we manipulated AVP-Rs within the medial preoptic area (MPOA), an important area for the onset and maintenance of maternal care (15,22,(25)(26)(27). To reach this goal, we used either an AVP-R antisense oligodeoxynucleotide for down-regulation (5) or an adeno-associated viral vector for up-regulation of AVP-R expression (4,10).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Brain vasopressin is an important regulator of maternal behavior independent of dams' trait anxiety

Bosch

Neumann²

2008

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

235

264

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The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) is arguably among the most potent regulators of social behaviors in mammals identified to date. However, only the related neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to promote maternal behavior. Here, we assess the role of AVP in maternal care, in particular in arched back nursing, pup retrieval, and pup contact by using complementary pharmacological and genetic approaches. Also, experiments were performed in rat dams with differences in trait anxiety, i.e., rats bred for either high (HAB) or low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior as well as nonselected (NAB) dams. Viral vector-mediated up-regulation of AVP V1a receptors (AVP-Rs) within the medial preoptic area of lactating NAB rats and chronic central AVP treatment of NAB and LAB dams improved, whereas local blockade of AVP-R expression by means of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides or central AVP-R antagonism impaired, maternal care in NAB dams. Also, in HAB rats with a genetically determined elevated brain AVP activity, intrinsically high levels of maternal care were reversed by blockade of AVP-R actions. Treatment-induced impairment of AVP-mediated maternal behavior increased adult emotionality and impaired social interactions in male offspring of NAB dams. These findings provide direct evidence for an essential and highly potent role of brain AVP in promoting maternal behavior, which seems to be independent of the dam's trait anxiety. adenoviral vector ͉ arched back nursing ͉ medial preoptic area ͉ antisense oligodeoxynucleotide ͉ pup retrieval T he neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a key player in the regulation of complex social behaviors in mammals (1). Investigations have mainly focused on males and shown that AVP-dependent social behaviors include social recognition and interaction (2-5), intermale aggression (6, 7), pair-bonding (8-10), and paternal care in monogamous biparental rodents (11,12). In addition, the related ancestral neuropeptide vasotocin, which is found in nonmammalian vertebrates, influences a wide range of reproductive behaviors in fish (13) and other vertebrates (14). So far, any direct involvement of AVP in regulating maternal behavior, one of the most important prosocial behaviors found in mammals, is largely unknown (1, 15). However, there is substantial evidence for significant activation of the brain AVP system around parturition and in lactation (16)(17)(18)(19)(20), which has mainly been discussed, to date, in the context of osmotic homeostasis maintenance (1,16,18). Interestingly, central infusion of AVP (21) or of an AVP receptor antagonist (AVP-A) altered the onset of maternal behavior (22), interpreted to be due to actions on oxytocin (OXT) receptors (OXT-Rs) (22), and affected maternal memor y (23), respectively.In the present experiments, we aimed to reveal AVP effects on maternal behavior mediated by the AVP V1a receptor (AVP-R). Therefore, we repeatedly treated lactating rat dams with either a selective AVP-A or OXT-R antagonist (OXT-A), or chronically infused either synthe...

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Section: Down-regulation Of Avp-r In the Mpoa Decreased Maternal Caresupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brain vasopressin is an important regulator of maternal behavior independent of dams' trait anxiety

Bosch

Neumann²

2008

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

235

264

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“…The evidence for the importance of receptor differences at the level of the MPOA is certainly compelling. Infusions of either estrogen (14,33) or oxytocin (22) directly into the MPOA facilitate the expression of maternal care. Moreover, lesions of the MPOA decrease pup licking͞grooming (34).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naturally occurring variations in maternal behavior in the rat are associated with differences in estrogen-inducible central oxytocin receptors

Champagne

Diorio

Sharma

et al. 2001

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

617

497

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Naturally occurring variations in maternal licking͞grooming influence neural development and are transmitted from mother to female offspring. We found that the induction of maternal behavior in virgin females through constant exposure to pups (pup sensitization) was significantly shorter in the offspring of High compared with Low licking͞grooming mothers, suggesting differences in maternal responsivity. In randomly selected females screened for individual differences in maternal responsivity and subsequently mated, there was a significant and negative correlation (r ‫؍‬ ؊0.73) between the latency to exhibit maternal behavior in the pup sensitization paradigm and the frequency of pup licking͞grooming during lactation. Females that were more maternally responsive to pups and that showed increased levels of pup licking͞grooming also showed significantly higher oxytocin receptor levels in the medial preoptic area, the lateral septum, the central nucleus (n.) of the amygdala, the paraventricular n. of the hypothalamus, and the bed n. of the stria terminalis. Intracerebroventricular administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist to mothers on postpartum day 3 completely eliminated the differences in pup licking͞grooming, suggesting that differences in oxytocin receptor levels are functionally related to maternal behavior. Finally, estrogen treatment of virgin females significantly increased oxytocin receptor binding in the medial preoptic area and lateral septum of female offspring of High, but not Low, licking͞grooming mothers. These findings suggest that maternal licking͞grooming influences the development of estrogen sensitivity in brain regions that regulate maternal behavior, providing a potential mechanism for the intergenerational transmission of individual differences in maternal behavior. N aturally occurring variations in maternal care influence the development of behavioral, endocrine, and cognitive stress responses in the rat (1-4). As adults, the offspring of mothers that show increased levels of pup licking͞grooming and archedback nursing (i.e., High LG-ABN mothers) exhibit more modest hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and behavioral responses to stress, and are more proficient in learning to navigate an escape path in the Morris water maze compared with the offspring of Low LG-ABN mothers. The results of cross-fostering studies suggest that the differences in maternal behavior are critical: On each of the measures mentioned above, the biological offspring of Low LG-ABN mothers reared by High LG-ABN dams resembled the normal offspring of High LG-ABN mothers (3, 4). Individual differences in maternal behavior show a comparable pattern of transmission across generations. Thus, the adult, female offspring of High LG-ABN mothers are, themselves, High LG-ABN mothers, whereas those of Low LG-ABN dams are Low LG-ABN mothers. The pattern is reversed with crossfostering (3). These findings suggest that individual differences in stress reactivity and maternal care can be transmitted across generations through a be...

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“…Likewise, s.c. injections of virgin rats with higher doses of EB stimulated maternal care towards foster young (Siegel and Rosenblatt, 1975b). Subsequent central studies designed to identify a possible neural site of estradiol stimulation of maternal behavior demonstrated that direct bilateral implants of dilute estradiol into the MPOA of either pregnancy-terminated primigravid rats (Numan et al, 1977) or ovariectomized, virgin rats (Fahrbach and Pfaff, 1986) produced shorter response latencies towards foster test young. The actions of estrogen in promoting maternal care in mice appear to be mediated via the estrogen alpha receptor (Riberio et al, 2012).…”

Section: Factors Affecting Offspring-directed Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Maternal Behavior

Bridges¹,

Byrnes²

2000

Neuroendocrinology in Physiology and Medicine

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The expression of maternal behavior in mammals is regulated by the developmental and experiential events over a female's lifetime. In this review the relationships between the endocrine and neural systems that play key roles in these developmental and experiential that affect both the establishment and maintenance of maternal care are presented. The involvement of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and lactogens are discussed in the context of ligand, receptor, and gene activity in rodents and to a lesser extent in higher mammals. The roles of neuroendocrine factors, including oxytocin, vasopressin, classical neurotransmitters, and other neural gene products that regulate aspects of maternal care are set forth, and the interactions of hormones with central nervous system mediators of maternal behavior are discussed. The impact of prior developmental factors, including epigenetic events, and maternal experience on subsequent maternal care are assessed over the course of the female's lifespan. It is proposed that common neuroendocrine mechanisms underlie the regulation of maternal care in mammals.

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Medial preoptic area and onset of maternal behavior in the rat.

Cited by 380 publications

References 45 publications

Brain vasopressin is an important regulator of maternal behavior independent of dams' trait anxiety

Brain vasopressin is an important regulator of maternal behavior independent of dams' trait anxiety

Naturally occurring variations in maternal behavior in the rat are associated with differences in estrogen-inducible central oxytocin receptors

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Maternal Behavior

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