Sensory, hormonal, and neural control of maternal aggression in laboratory rodents

Lonstein, Joseph S.; Gammie, Stephen C.

doi:10.1016/s0149-7634(02)00087-8

Cited by 257 publications

(238 citation statements)

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“…The finding of elevated aggression with CDP is consistent with the model that maternal aggression is inversely related to levels of fear and anxiety. For example, relative to virgin females lactating rodents show decreased anxiety in a number of tests, such as the elevated plus maze (Ferreira et al, 2002;Kellogg and Barrett, 1999), freezing behavior (Ferreira et al, 2002), light-dark choice test (Lonstein and Gammie, 2002), acoustic startle stimulus (Hard and Hansen, 1985;Toufexis et al, 1999), and open field test (Fleming and Luebke, 1981). It has been suggested that a decrease in fear/anxiety may facilitate aggression such that a dam is now more likely to attack a normally fear-evoking intruder male (Lonstein and Gammie, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, relative to virgin females lactating rodents show decreased anxiety in a number of tests, such as the elevated plus maze (Ferreira et al, 2002;Kellogg and Barrett, 1999), freezing behavior (Ferreira et al, 2002), light-dark choice test (Lonstein and Gammie, 2002), acoustic startle stimulus (Hard and Hansen, 1985;Toufexis et al, 1999), and open field test (Fleming and Luebke, 1981). It has been suggested that a decrease in fear/anxiety may facilitate aggression such that a dam is now more likely to attack a normally fear-evoking intruder male (Lonstein and Gammie, 2002). However, a number of discrepancies among a variety of studies, such as fear/anxiety changes not always being associated with heightened maternal aggression, suggests a clear link between fear/anxiety and maternal aggression may not exist (Lonstein, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

Lee

Gammie

2007

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior

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Previous studies have shown that low doses of GABA A receptor agonists facilitate maternal defense of offspring (maternal aggression), without significantly affecting other maternal behaviors. In addition, it has been demonstrated that endogenous changes in GABAergic neurotransmission occur in association with lactation. This study investigated the effects of GABA A receptor agonist, chlordiazepoxide (CDP), a benzodiazepine (BDZ), on maternal behaviors including aggression, and identified brain regions with altered activity in association with treatment. Another aim of the study was to determine whether CDP injections could prevent decreases in maternal aggression that occur with pup separation. Intraperitoneal injections of 1mg/kg of CDP significantly increased maternal defense without affecting other maternal behaviors, although a trend towards elevated nursing was noted. CDP significantly reduced c-Fos in lateral septum (LS) and caudal periaqueductal gray (cPAG) in behaviorally-experienced mice relative to vehicle-injected controls. In behaviorally-naïve subjects, CDP also decreased c-Fos in LS, but in cPAG this decrease was just above significance (p = 0.051). CDP was not sufficient to "rescue" maternal aggression when pup stimulus was removed. Overall, these studies provide further insights into the role for GABA in maternal behaviors, including aggression, and how and where BDZs may act to modulate behavior.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

Lee

Gammie

2007

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior

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“…Maternal aggression tests were performed in the females' home cages between PPD 3-5, when the highest level of maternal aggression occurs (Gandelman, 1972;Lonstein and Gammie, 2002), between 0900-1400 and 1500-1700h. Female subjects were brought to the testing room in their home cage and pups were removed prior to the tests (Svare et al, 1981;Lonstein and Gammie, 2002), to avoid any potentially infanticide behaviour by the intruder (Vom Saal and Howard, 1982).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Female subjects were brought to the testing room in their home cage and pups were removed prior to the tests (Svare et al, 1981;Lonstein and Gammie, 2002), to avoid any potentially infanticide behaviour by the intruder (Vom Saal and Howard, 1982). During the tests, pups were left in another cage close to their home cage.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance

Martín‐Sánchez

McLean

Beynon

et al. 2015

Hormones and Behavior

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From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance, Hormones and Behavior (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 AbstractThis paper reviews the role of chemosignals in the socio-sexual interactions of female mice, and reports two experiments testing the role of pup-derived chemosignals and the male sexual pheromone darcin in inducing and promoting maternal aggression. Female mice are attracted to urine-borne male pheromones. Volatile and non-volatile urine fractions have been proposed to contain olfactory and vomeronasal pheromones. In particular, the male-specific major urinary protein (MUP) MUP20, darcin, has been shown to be rewarding and attractive to females. Non-urinary male chemosignals, such as the lacrimal protein ESP1, promote lordosis in female mice, but its attractive properties are still to be tested. There is evidence indicating that ESP1 and MUPs are detected by vomeronasal type 2 receptors (V2R).When a female mouse becomes pregnant, she undergoes dramatic changes in her physiology and behaviour. She builds a nest for her pups and takes care of them. Dams also defend the nest against conspecific intruders, attacking especially gonadally intact males. Maternal behaviour is dependent on a functional olfactory system, thus suggesting a role of chemosignals in the development of maternal behaviour. Our first experiment demonstrates, however, that pup chemosignals are not sufficient to induce maternal aggression in virgin females. In addition, it is known that vomeronasal stimuli are needed for maternal aggression.Since MUPs (and other molecules) are able to promote intermale aggression, in our second experiment we test if the attractive MUP darcin also promotes attacks on castrated male intruders by lactating dams. Our findings demonstrate that the same chemosignal, darcin, promotes attraction or aggression according to female reproductive state.

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“…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%

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

McMurray

Joyner

Middleton

et al. 2008

Stress

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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.

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Sensory, hormonal, and neural control of maternal aggression in laboratory rodents

Cited by 257 publications

References 227 publications

GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance

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

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