Sex differences in the parental behavior of rodents

Lonstein, Joseph S.; Vries, Geert J. De

doi:10.1016/s0149-7634(00)00036-1

Cited by 206 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 229 publications

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“…Grooming can facilitate the acquisition of bartonellae by disrupting the skin barrier (e.g., by aggressive grooming) or by removal and interchange of ectoparasites between rodents (e.g., social grooming) (Krasnov andKhokhlova 2001, Stopka andGraciasova 2001). Parental behavior (carrying, licking, and huddling of young animals) (Lonstein and De Vries 2000) can lead to an early exposure and transmission of bartonellae among rodents. In addition, mobility, spatial behavior, and seasonality of the rodents (e.g., for reproductive purposes or emergence of juveniles from burrows) are traits that can contribute to the risk of bartonellae acquisition in wild rodents by influencing the rate of rodent-rodent interactions (Krasnov et al 2005).…”

Section: Ecological Insights Of the Rodent-flea-bartonella Trianglementioning

confidence: 99%

BartonellaInfection in Rodents and Their Flea Ectoparasites: An Overview

Gutiérrez

Krasnov

Morick

et al. 2015

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

131

165

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Epidemiological studies worldwide have reported a high prevalence and a great diversity of Bartonella species, both in rodents and their flea parasites. The interaction among Bartonella, wild rodents, and fleas reflects a high degree of adaptation among these organisms. Vertical and horizontal efficient Bartonella transmission pathways within flea communities and from fleas to rodents have been documented in competence studies, suggesting that fleas are key players in the transmission of Bartonella to rodents. Exploration of the ecological traits of rodents and their fleas may shed light on the mechanisms used by bartonellae to become established in these organisms. The present review explores the interrelations within the Bartonella-rodent-flea system. The role of the latter two components is emphasized.

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Section: Ecological Insights Of the Rodent-flea-bartonella Trianglementioning

confidence: 99%

BartonellaInfection in Rodents and Their Flea Ectoparasites: An Overview

Gutiérrez

Krasnov

Morick

et al. 2015

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

131

165

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“…Many sex differences in the behavior of adult rodents can be influenced by perinatal exposure to gonadal hormones and sex differences in parental responsiveness are no exception (for review see Lonstein and De Vries, 2000a). In rats, virgin males that are castrated soon after birth show more feminine responses toward pups during adulthood in that they are more likely to act parentally and less likely to attack pups than gonadally intact controls (Quadagno and Rockwell, 1972;McCullough, Quadagno, and Goldman, 1974;Rosenberg and Herrenkohl, 1976;Rosenberg, Denenberg, Zarrow, and Frank, 1971).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Lonstein

Rood

Vries

2002

Hormones and Behavior

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We previously found a large sex difference in the parental responsiveness of adult virgin prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) such that most males are spontaneously parental, whereas most females are not. Because this sex difference is independent of the gonadal hormones normally circulating in adult virgin voles, the present study examined whether perinatal hormones influence the development of this sex difference. Males were treated prenatally (via their pregnant dam) with both the androgen receptor blocker flutamide (5 mg/day/dam) and the aromatase inhibitor ATD (1 mg/day/dam), or oil, for the last 2 weeks of gestation. Half of the subjects from each group were castrated on the day of birth and the other half received a sham surgery. As adults, intact males were castrated and all males received a silastic capsule filled with testosterone. Prenatal treatment with flutamide and ATD had no effect on males' behavior toward pups, but neonatal castration significantly reduced the percentage of males acting parentally. In a second experiment, females were exposed to testosterone propionate (TP; 50 g/day/dam) or oil via their dam during the last 2 weeks of gestation. For the first neonatal week, half of the females from each group were injected with TP (1 mg/day) and the other half oil. As adults, females were ovariectomized and half from each group received a testosterone-filled capsule and the other half received an empty capsule. None of the perinatal TP treatments increased females' parental responsiveness, although females from all groups that received testosterone capsules as adults were highly parental. Therefore, although postnatal testicular hormones are necessary for high parental responsiveness in males, the behavior of females is not influenced by perinatal exposure to testosterone. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)

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“…Grooming behavior was defined as anogenital licking and body (general) licking. Crouching behavior was defined as the mouse adopting a nursing posture over the pups to provide warmth [21].…”

Section: Behavioral Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of electrical lesions of the medial preoptic area and the ventral pallidum on mate-dependent paternal behavior in mice

Akther

Fakhrul

Higashida

2014

Neuroscience Letters

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h i g h l i g h t s• The mouse sires displayed mate-dependent paternal behavior.• This parental behavior was disrupted by electrical brain lesions.• The medial preoptic area and ventral pallidum are involved in the paternal behaviors. a r t i c l e i n f o t r a c tIn laboratory animals, less is known about the neural circuits that mediate paternal behavior than those that influence maternal behavior. In mice, we recently reported that when sires are separated with their mate dams from their pups, ultrasound and pheromonal signals from the dams can evoke and initiate maternal-like retrieval behavior in the sires upon reunion with the offspring; this is termed mate-dependent paternal care. We used electrolytic brain lesion (EBL) methods to identify the potential roles of the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and ventral pallidum (VP) regions in regulating paternal care, areas known to be critical for the expression of maternal behavior. Electrolytic lesions of the mPOA or VP disrupted mate-dependent paternal care; latencies to initiate pup retrieval, grooming and crouching were longer in the EBL-treated sires relative to the sham-operated mice. The number of grooming episodes and duration of crouching were also lower in sires with the EBL in both areas. These results indicate that the mPOA and VP regions are essential for mate-dependent paternal care in mice.

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Sex differences in the parental behavior of rodents

Cited by 206 publications

References 229 publications

BartonellaInfection in Rodents and Their Flea Ectoparasites: An Overview

BartonellaInfection in Rodents and Their Flea Ectoparasites: An Overview

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Effects of electrical lesions of the medial preoptic area and the ventral pallidum on mate-dependent paternal behavior in mice

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