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The unique effects of these two drugs may be due to their unique actions at the mesolimbic dopamine synapses. The sparing of the major components of maternal behavior by aripiprazole may be related to its partial agonist effects, whereas the enhancement of pup licking by amisulpiride may be related to its dose-dependent preferential effect on the presynaptic autoreceptors. The potential clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Previous findings have demonstrated that the maternal environment is important for the development of male sexual behavior. The present study examined the effects of complete early life isolation and replacement 'stroking' stimulation on male sexual behavior and neural activation as seen by Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR). Animals were either artificially reared (AR) with minimal (AR-MIN) or maximal (AR-MAX) body simulation, or maternally reared (MR). In adulthood, animals were either given an exposure to an estrous female (EXP) or left undisturbed (NoEXP). No significant effects of early development were found in sexual behavior; however differences in activation in response to this exposure were observed. AR-MIN animals showed lower Fos-IR in the medial preoptic area and the ventromedial hypothalamus compared to MR animals. AR-MAX animals were not significantly different from either condition. These findings demonstrate that although there are no differences in the quality of the first copulatory exposure between AR and MR animals, the brain's response to this exposure differs in sites within the brain that subserve sexual behavior.