Effect of prepuberal medial preoptic area lesions on male rat sexual behavior

Leedy, Mitzi G.; Vela, Ernesto A.; Popolow, Herbert B.; Gerall, Arnold A.

doi:10.1016/0031-9384(80)90097-9

Cited by 40 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…These findings contrast largely with those of previous lesion studies, which showed no reliable disruptive effects. 17,19 However, this is identical to what has been observed in studies of affiliative birdsong in which siRNA downregulation of MOR in the MPOA suppressed singing behavior (our unpublished observations); whereas, lesions either increased or had no effects on song. These similarities further support the hypothesis that studies of affiliative birdsong and rat play reveal a conserved neural circuit that underlies intrinsically rewarded social behaviors.…”

Section: Opioids In the Mpoa Facilitate Social Playsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…15,16 Moreover, lesions to MPOA did not disrupt juvenile play behavior. [17][18][19] However, this is what would be predicted if the mechanisms that underlie affiliative, rewarding singing behavior in songbirds extend to social play in mammals. Specifically, starlings given MPOA lesions either do not show deficits in affiliative singing behavior or they sing more than controls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, lesions to the MPOA in juvenile rats were found to disrupt adult sexual behavior, unless the juveniles were housed under social conditions that allowed them to play. 18,19 This suggests that juvenile play behavior induces activity in the MPOA and can modify MPOA-dependent sociosexual behaviors later in life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mu opioid receptors in the medial preoptic area govern social play behavior in adolescent male rats

Zhao

Chang

Auger

et al. 2020

Genes Brain and Behavior

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Neural systems underlying important behaviors are usually highly conserved across species. The medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in reward associated with affiliative, nonsexual, social communication in songbirds. However, the role of MPOA in affiliative, rewarding social behaviors (eg, social play behavior) in mammals remains largely unknown. Here we applied our insights from songbirds to rats to determine whether opioids in the MPOA govern social play behavior in rats. Using an immediate early gene (ie, Egr1, early growth response 1) expression approach, we identified increased numbers of Egr1‐labeled cells in the MPOA after social play in adolescent male rats. We also demonstrated that cells expressing mu opioid receptors (MORs, gene name Oprm1) in the MPOA displayed increased Egr1 expression when adolescent rats were engaged in social play using double immunofluorescence labeling of MOR and Egr1. Furthermore, using short hairpin RNA‐mediated gene silencing we revealed that knockdown of Oprm1 in the MPOA reduced the number of total play bouts and the frequency of pouncing. Last, RNA sequencing differential gene expression analysis identified genes involved in neuronal signaling with altered expression after Oprm1 knockdown, and identified Egr1 as potentially a key modulator for Oprm1 in the regulation of social play behavior. Altogether, these results show that the MPOA is involved in social play behavior in adolescent male rats and support the hypothesis that the MPOA is part of a conserved neural circuit across vertebrates in which opioids act to govern affiliative, intrinsically rewarded social behaviors.

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Section: Opioids In the Mpoa Facilitate Social Playsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mu opioid receptors in the medial preoptic area govern social play behavior in adolescent male rats

Zhao

Chang

Auger

et al. 2020

Genes Brain and Behavior

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“…Studies of play in rats have discriminated between the neurobiological substrates for social play behavior and the substrates underlying adult social, sexual and aggressive behavior (Vanderschuren et al, 1997). Lesion studies indicate that several areas of the brain important for expression of social behaviors other than play, such as the olfactory bulb (Liebenauer & Slotnick, 1996;Dluzen, Muaoka & Landgraf, 1998) and the medial preoptic hypothalamus (Jonason & Enloe, 1971;Leedy, Vela, Popolow & Gerall, 1980), are not required for social play (Beatty & Costello, 1983;Panksepp et al, 1984;Vanderschuren et al, 1997). Some drugs shown to affect social play do not exert parallel effects on other social behaviors (Beatty, Dodge, Dodge, White & Panksepp, 1982;Thor & Holloway, 1983;Vanderschuren et al, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphine administration selectively facilitates social play in common marmosets*†

Guard

Newman

Roberts

2002

Developmental Psychobiology

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Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) form extended families, and several cohorts of young may reside together. Play is shown extensively among the offspring. We hypothesized that opiate activity modulates social play, and predicted that administration of morphine (0.5 mg/kg) would facilitate social play, whereas pretreatment with naloxone (0.5 mg/kg) would block morphine's effects. Morphine administration was associated with significantly increased social play, and the effect of morphine was attributable to the focal subject, since play initiated by others was unaffected by treatment. Non-social categories of play, such as object manipulation and locomotor play, and affiliative behaviors, such as time spent huddled, were unaffected by treatment. Twittering and play face, behaviors used by young during play, also increased after morphine administration. Pretreatment with naloxone blocked morphine's effects. Total activity was significantly increased by morphine administration. We conclude that social play is specifically facilitated by opiate activation, whereas other categories of play behavior and social behavior were unaffected by morphine. Thus, social play represents a distinct category of social behavior in juvenile common marmosets with regulatory processes that are unique from other types of social behavior.

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“…Byers and Walker (1995) suggested that juvenile play might influence proficiency of adult behavior via effects on late-developing structures involved in motor function, such as the cerebellum. Moreover, social play behavior is associated with synaptic remodeling and increased growth factor expression in specific brain regions (Cooke and Shukla 2011), and social play and peer interaction in juvenile male rats can prevent deficits in adult sexual behavior associated with lesions to the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (Twiggs et al 1978;Leedy et al 1980). Also in rats, juvenile social play influences dendritic arborization in the medial prefrontal cortex, possibly to promote development of motor responses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile social play and yearling behavior and reproductive success in female Belding’s ground squirrels

Nunes

2014

J Ethol

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Benefits of play behavior have been described for individuals during the juvenile period; however, it is less clear whether benefits of juvenile play commonly extend beyond the period of juvenile development. I evaluated possible associations between juvenile social play and yearling maternal territorial behavior and reproductive success in female Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi). Higher rates of juvenile social play were associated with greater intensity of territorial aggressive and vigilant behavior during gestation but not later phases of the yearling reproductive cycle, suggesting that both juvenile play and later experience may influence maternal territorial behavior in yearling females. Juvenile social play was also a reliable predictor of whether a yearling female successfully weaned a litter, raising the possibility that juvenile play behavior influences yearling reproductive success via effects on maternal territorial behavior in female U. beldingi. Other factors were also related to reproductive success in yearling females. Body mass at the beginning of the yearling reproductive period was not correlated with juvenile social play but was associated with the likelihood of successfully weaning a litter. Yearling females whose mother was still alive were more likely to wean a litter than those whose mother was not alive. Mothers and yearling daughters tended to have maternal territories near each other, and mothers with a surviving yearling daughter expressed aggressive behavior at elevated rates and directed aggression toward intruders on the daughter's territory. Overall, results of the study suggest that juvenile social play is among the variables that influence maternal territorial behavior and reproductive success in yearling female U. beldingi, and are consistent with the idea that juvenile play has benefits beyond the juvenile period for female U. beldingi.

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Effect of prepuberal medial preoptic area lesions on male rat sexual behavior

Cited by 40 publications

References 16 publications

Mu opioid receptors in the medial preoptic area govern social play behavior in adolescent male rats

Mu opioid receptors in the medial preoptic area govern social play behavior in adolescent male rats

Morphine administration selectively facilitates social play in common marmosets*†

Juvenile social play and yearling behavior and reproductive success in female Belding’s ground squirrels

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