Progesterone and maternal aggressive behavior in rats

Sousa, Fabiana Leopoldo de; Lazzari, Virgínia; Azevedo, Márcia Scherem de; Almeida, Silvana; Sanvitto, Gilberto Luiz; Lucion, Aldo Bolten; Giovenardi, Márcia

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2010.03.050

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…However, at baseline, adult female rats are less likely to engage in defeat bouts than male rats. Conversely, the high levels of oxytocin, vasopressin, and progesterone that are present during lactation serve to increase aggression [20; 44–46]. Albers and colleagues have examined the aggressive response in female Syrian hamsters and demonstrated an inhibitory role of arginine vasopressin centrally administered to the anterior hypothalamus [47].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to repeated maternal aggression induces depressive-like behavior and increases startle in adult female rats

Bourke

Neigh

2012

Behavioural Brain Research

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The stress response is a multifaceted physiological reaction that engages a wide range of systems. Animal studies examining stress and the stress response employ diverse methods as stressors. While many of these stressors are capable of inducing a stress response in animals, a need exists for an ethologically relevant stressor for female rats. The purpose of the current study was to use an ethologically relevant social stressor to induce behavioral alterations in adult female rats. Adult (postnatal day 90) female Wistar rats were repeatedly exposed to lactating Long Evans female rats to simulate chronic stress. After six days of sessions, intruder females exposed to defeat were tested in the sucrose consumption test, the forced swim test, acoustic startle test, elevated plus maze, and open field test. At the conclusion of behavioral testing, animals were restrained for 30 minutes and trunk blood was collected for assessment of serum hormones. Female rats exposed to maternal aggression exhibited decreased sucrose consumption, and impaired coping behavior in the forced swim test. Additionally, female rats exposed to repeated maternal aggression exhibited an increased acoustic startle response. No changes were observed in female rats in the elevated plus maze or open field test. Serum hormones were unaltered due to repeated exposure to maternal aggression. These data indicate the importance of the social experience in the development of stress-related behaviors: an acerbic social experience in female rats precipitates the manifestation of depressive-like behaviors and an enhanced startle response.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to repeated maternal aggression induces depressive-like behavior and increases startle in adult female rats

Bourke

Neigh

2012

Behavioural Brain Research

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“…For example, relatively recent work has revealed that while adrenalectomy does not eliminate maternal behavior, exogenous corticosterone enhances maternal licking in postpartum rats, but inhibits it in sensitized virgins (Rees, Panesar, Steiner, & Fleming, 2004; 2006). Furthermore, postpartum ovariectomy reduces the frequency that mothers lick their pups when assessed between postpartum days 2–7 (de Sousa et al, 2010), but increases hovering over the pups and licking them while reducing some non-pup-directed behaviors when measured from days 7–18 postpartum (Grieb, Tierney and Lonstein, in preparation). Lastly, central antagonism of OT receptors in postpartum rats reduces, but does not eliminate, pup licking and nursing (Pedersen & Boccia, 2003), which is consistent with the finding that central OT receptor expression is positively correlated with the frequency of maternal licking in early postpartum rats (Champagne, Diorio, Sharma, & Meaney, 2001).…”

Section: Hormonal Basis Of Motheringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Common and divergent psychobiological mechanisms underlying maternal behaviors in non-human and human mammals

Lonstein

Lévy

Fleming

2015

Hormones and Behavior

117

128

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Maternal interactions with young occupy most of the reproductive period for female mammals and are absolutely essential for offspring survival and development. The hormonal, sensory, reward-related, emotional, cognitive and neurobiological regulators of maternal caregiving behaviors have been well studied in numerous subprimate mammalian species, and some of the importance of this body of work is thought to be its relevance for understanding similar controls in humans. We here review many of the important biopsychological influences on maternal behaviors in the two best studied non-human animals, laboratory rats and sheep, and directly examine how the conceptual framework established by some of the major discoveries in these animal “models” do or do not hold for our understanding of human mothering. We also explore some of the limits for extrapolating from non-human animals to humans. We conclude that there are many similarities between non-human and human mothers in the biological and psychological factors influencing their early maternal behavior and that many of the differences are due to species-characteristic features related to the role of hormones, the relative importance of each sensory system, flexibility in what behaviors are exhibited, the presence or absence of language, and the complexity of cortical function influencing the behavior.

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“…They have in common to feed, maintain the temperature of the offspring, and protect it from predators [31][32][33]. They still aim to keep the mother in nutritional conditions that allow her survival and, consequently, her offspring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute Lipopolysaccharide Switches the Selection of Maternal Behavior to Predatory Behavior in Female Rats

Mendes-Lima

Kirsten²,

Felício³

et al. 2017

Neuroimmunomodulation

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Objectives: A common problem during the postpartum period and during lactation is being affected by infection due to Gram-negative bacteria. In this situation, a sick mother needs to choose between caring for her pups or the need for survival. This study analyzed the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behavior on selection between maternal behavior (MB) and predatory behavior (PB) in lactating rats. To assess the LPS-induced sickness behavior, the plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured. Methods: Lactating rats received 100 µg/kg LPS or saline solution on day 5 or 6 of lactation, 2 h before testing. Five pups and 5 cockroaches were introduced to the experimental cage at the same time and maternal and PB were observed for 30 min. The MB was measured by the pup contact, grouping, grooming, and kyphosis and the PB by contacting, eating, and foraging insects. General maternal activity was also observed, including exploration, self-grooming, and immobility. Immediately after the observations, blood was collected to measure the plasma TNF-α levels. Results: LPS administration reduced the time and frequency of pup contact, grouping, grooming, and kyphosis, with an increase in the latency to first pup contact and grouping. With regard to PB, the time of foraging and eating insects increased, and the latencies to first insect contact, eating insects, and foraging decreased. With regard to general maternal activity, immobility time and TNF-α levels increased in the LPS-treated group. Conclusions: LPS exposure switched MB to PB, prioritizing maternal survival. Thus, in more favorable situations, these rats may have new offspring and therefore her species would survive for long.

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Progesterone and maternal aggressive behavior in rats

Cited by 21 publications

References 51 publications

Exposure to repeated maternal aggression induces depressive-like behavior and increases startle in adult female rats

Exposure to repeated maternal aggression induces depressive-like behavior and increases startle in adult female rats

Common and divergent psychobiological mechanisms underlying maternal behaviors in non-human and human mammals

Acute Lipopolysaccharide Switches the Selection of Maternal Behavior to Predatory Behavior in Female Rats

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