Oxytocin selectively increases holding and licking of neonates in preweanling but not postweanling juvenile rats.

Peterson, Gary; Mason, George A.; Barakat, Ali; Pedersen, Cort A.

doi:10.1037/0735-7044.105.3.470

Cited by 19 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Other sites, including the MPOA and AMYG showed enhanced c-fos expression in the adult but not in the juvenile. Similarly, in contrast to the role of these hormones in the adult female rat, neither oxytocin nor prolactin facilitates the expression of maternal behavior in the juvenile female rat (although prolactin seems to be effective in the male juvenile rat) (Kinsley & Bridges, 1988;Peterson, Mason, Barakat, & Pedersen, 1991). Endocrine data also support the idea that the``maternal behavior'' of juvenile and adult animals may not be controlled by identical mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

The effects of medial preoptic area and amygdala lesions on maternal behavior in the juvenile rat

Oxley¹,

Fleming²

2000

Dev. Psychobiol.

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The present study was designed to determine whether the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the amygdala (AMYG) are involved in the expression of "maternal" behavior in juvenile rats as they are in the adult. Juveniles show many behaviors that are similar to the maternal behaviors shown by the postpartum female rat. Whether these behaviors are social in function, as opposed to parental, and hence mediated by different mechanisms from those regulating adult maternal behavior is not known. To test the roles of the MPOA and AMYG in mediating these behaviors, 21-day-old female juvenile rats received MPOA, AMYG, or SHAM (MPOA/AMYG) lesions and were tested at 22 days of age for maternal and other responses to pups. Major findings demonstrate that MPOA lesions disrupt components of maternal behavior, including retrieving and nest building, while AMYG lesions facilitate these behaviors. These findings indicate striking similarities between the juvenile and rat brain for parental responding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

The effects of medial preoptic area and amygdala lesions on maternal behavior in the juvenile rat

Oxley¹,

Fleming²

2000

Dev. Psychobiol.

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“…For example, preweanling rats (approximately 20 days of age) that received i.c.v. OXT increased holding and licking of pups . Other studies had shown a reduction in OXTR density in the NAc of rats from age 20 days, when naïve male and female rats are prone to display parental behaviour, to adulthood, when naïve male and female rats ignore or avoid newborns .…”

Section: Oxtr Distribution In the Brain Influences The Propensity Of mentioning

confidence: 76%

“…had shown that weanling rats showed parental behaviour with very short latencies. Furthermore, there was one study that also suggested that OXT could facilitate parental behaviour in juvenile or preweanling animals . For example, preweanling rats (approximately 20 days of age) that received i.c.v.…”

Section: Oxtr Distribution In the Brain Influences The Propensity Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of oxytocin in parental behaviour

Olazábal

2018

J Neuroendocrinology

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Both animal and human studies have provided conclusive evidence that oxytocin (OXT) acts in the brain (eg, medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens) to promote parental behaviour under different reproductive and physiological conditions. OXT appears to accelerate and strengthen the neural process that makes newborns attractive or rewarding. Furthermore, OXT reduces stress/anxiety and might improve mood and well being, resulting in indirect benefits for parents. However, OXT also plays a role in the development of species reproductive and social strategies, making some species or individuals more prone to display caring activities in nonreproductive contexts. There are important differences in the development of the OXT system and its regulation by gonadal hormones that can make individuals or species very different. Those intra- and interspecific differences in the OXT system have been associated with differences in parental behaviour. For example, differences in OXT levels in body fluids and genetic variants for the OXT and OXT receptor genes have been associated with variability in parental mood and behaviour in humans. Thus, OXT has received much attention as a potential therapeutic agent for affective, emotional and behavioural problems. Despite many preliminary studies indicating promising findings, several unknown aspects of the OXT system remain to be addressed before we can achieve a complete understanding of its function in the brain. The enormous interest that this area of study has attracted in the last decade will likely continually contribute to advancing our understanding of the role of OXT in parental behaviour and other behavioural and physiological functions.

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“…The transition from attachment to independence occurring during weaning is unique in the life span, irreversible, and essential for survival, occurring in all mammalian species and every individual animal and is formative of social behavior in many. In contrast, while mating and parenting are affiliative transitions that also have been associated with neurochemical alterations (Carter, 1998;Insel, 1997;Nelson & Panksepp, 1996, 1998Peterson, Mason, Barakat, & Pedersen, 1991), in many mammalian species mating is brief and arguably ''affiliation,'' parenting is often gender (female) specific, these transitions are reversible, recurring, and inessential for the individual's survival; in many species, many or most individuals do not engage in them at all.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Role of oxytocin and vasopressin in the transitions of weaning in the rat

Kavushansky

Leshem

2004

Developmental Psychobiology

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Sucklings (18-day-old) and weanlings (35-day-old) were injected icv with oxytocin or its antagonist (both 0.5 microg/1 microl), or vasopressin (1.0 ng/1 microl) or its antagonist (100 ng/1 microl), prior to 4-min observation in a behavioral maze with a sibling in one box and their anesthetized dam in the other. Oxytocin abolished nipple attachment in sucklings, decreased time spent with the dam, and increased self-grooming. The oxytocin antagonist had little influence on behavior. Vasopressin increased self-grooming while its antagonist reduced passive contact with the dam, increased active contact with her, and increased exploration and activity. We conclude that these neuropeptides have diverse roles during weaning, maintaining sucklings' behavior or promoting weaning, and subserving the transition from attachment to the dam to independence from her. We propose that these neurochemicals, and others, mediate the neural, affiliative, and affective changes of weaning, and that the term "weaning" should be understood to encompass these behavioral transitions.

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Oxytocin selectively increases holding and licking of neonates in preweanling but not postweanling juvenile rats.

Cited by 19 publications

References 25 publications

The effects of medial preoptic area and amygdala lesions on maternal behavior in the juvenile rat

The effects of medial preoptic area and amygdala lesions on maternal behavior in the juvenile rat

Role of oxytocin in parental behaviour

Role of oxytocin and vasopressin in the transitions of weaning in the rat

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