Medial preoptic area interactions with the nucleus accumbens–ventral pallidum circuit and maternal behavior in rats

Numan, Michael; Schwarz, Jaclyn M.; Neuner, Christina M.; Flood, Thomas; Smith, Carl

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2004.08.008

Cited by 117 publications

(116 citation statements)

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“…LS is a prime candidate for modulation of maternal defense by BDZs because it is associated with fear and anxiety (Numan and Insel, 2003;Pesold and Treit, 1996;Singewald et al, 2003) and previously has been hypothesized to be a critical site of negative regulation for maternal aggression (D'Anna et al, 2005;Gammie et al, 2004). For example, for three peptides that inhibit maternal aggression, CRF (Gammie et al, 2004), urocotin (Ucn) 1, and Ucn 3 (D' Anna et al, 2005), c-Fos activity in LS was elevated with treatment at the dose that impaired aggression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, in addition to producing milk and nursing, a lactating female displays a range of maternal behaviors, including defense of offspring, found in low or no levels in nonlactating females. Changes in gene expression and neurotransmission within the CNS play an important role in supporting the physiology and behavior of lactation (Numan and Insel, 2003). *Corresponding Author: Grace Lee, Address: 1117 W. Johnson St., University of Wisconsin, Madison,WI 53706,Email: glee1@wisc.edu,Telephone: (608) Fax: (608) 262-9083.Previous studies have identified altered neurotransmission of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the principle inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), as supporting maternal physiology and behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, site-directed injections into the CNS of muscimol (a GABA A receptor agonist) reduced active maternal traits like pup retrieval (Arrati et al, 2006), nest building (Arrati et al, 2006;Ferreira et al, 2000;Numan et al, 2005), and high arched-back nursing (Arrati et al, 2006;Numan et al, 2005;Salzberg et al, 2002), as well as passive maternal behaviors, including low arched-back nursing, and licking and grooming (Arrati et al, 2006). Conversely, postpartum ewes injected with a BDZ agonist were more willing to accept alien offspring and allowed suckling compared to those injected with saline (Ferreira et al, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…What is the evidence for that statement? First, lesions of the medial NA, which is the region where DA antagonists exert their inhibitory effect, do not disrupt maternal behavior in postpartum females (Numan et al, 2005b).…”

Section: The Nucleus Accumbens-ventral Pallidum Circuit and Maternal mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on our model, one would also predict that depression of VP activity in postpartum rats should inhibit maternal behavior. To provide support for this idea, we turned to the drug muscimol (Numan et al, 2005b). Muscimol is an agonist for GABA-A type receptors, it mimics GABA's effect, and causes a reversible neural inhibition.…”

Section: The Nucleus Accumbens-ventral Pallidum Circuit and Maternal mentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivational systems and the neural circuitry of maternal behavior in the rat

Numan

2006

Developmental Psychobiology

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Jay Rosenblatt's approach-avoidance model of maternal behavior proposes that maternal behavior occurs when the tendency to approach infant stimuli is greater than the tendency to avoid such stimuli. Our research program has uncovered neural circuits which conform to such a model. We present evidence that the medial preoptic area (MPOA: located in the rostral hypothalamus) may regulate maternal responsiveness by depressing antagonistic neural systems which promote withdrawal responses while also activating appetitive neural systems which increase the attractiveness of infant-related stimuli. These MPOA circuits are activated by the hormonal events of late pregnancy. Preoptic efferents may suppress a central aversion system which includes an amygdala to anterior hypothalamic circuit. Preoptic efferents are also shown to interact with components of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system to regulate proactive voluntary maternal responses. We make a distinction between specific (MPOA neurons) and nonspecific motivational systems (mesolimbic DA system) in the regulation of maternal responsiveness.

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Functional, anatomical, and neurochemical differentiation of medial preoptic area subregions in relation to maternal behavior in the mouse

Tsuneoka

Maruyama

Yoshida

et al. 2013

J of Comparative Neurology

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197

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In rodents, previous findings indicate critical involvement of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) in the neural control of maternal behavior. However, the specification of the particular MPOA subregions involved in maternal behavior and the identification of the neurochemical phenotype(s) of the essential neurons demands additional study. Therefore, we investigated the chemical neuroanatomy of the essential MPOA subregion for maternal behavior in C57BL/6J female mice. Using the oxytocinergic neurons in the dorsal MPOA as a primary regional marker, we first assessed the distribution of c-Fos-expressing neurons in the MPOA during maternal behavior using immunohistochemistry. Results showed that non-oxytocinergic neurons in the dorsal and ventral MPOA prominently expressed c-Fos during maternal behavior. Then using excitotoxic lesion studies, we determined the specific MPOA area that is necessary for maternal behavior. Bilateral lesions of the central MPOA, where c-Fos was expressed only moderately, effectively disrupted maternal behavior, although lesions to the dorsal and ventral MPOA regions were ineffective. These centrally lesioned females were highly infanticidal irrespective of their previous maternal experience. Neurochemical investigations showed that more than 75% of the c-Fos-expressing neurons in central MPOA were GABAergic. Many of them also expressed galanin, neurotensin, and/or tachykinin2 mRNAs. Finally, the central MPOA was populated by numerous glutamatergic neurons, although only a small percentage of these neurons colocalized with c-Fos. To conclude, the central MPOA is the indispensable subregion for mouse maternal behavior, and GABAergic and/or peptidergic neurons in this area were transcriptionally activated during maternal behavior.

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Medial preoptic area interactions with the nucleus accumbens–ventral pallidum circuit and maternal behavior in rats

Cited by 117 publications

References 71 publications

GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

GABA enhancement of maternal defense in mice: Possible neural correlates

Motivational systems and the neural circuitry of maternal behavior in the rat

Functional, anatomical, and neurochemical differentiation of medial preoptic area subregions in relation to maternal behavior in the mouse

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