Sexual differentiation of oxytocin stress responsiveness: effect of neonatal androgenization, castration and a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonist

Carter, D. A.; Saridaki, E.; Lightman, Stafford

doi:10.1530/acta.0.1170525

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Moreover, prenatal stress affects the level of progesterone that should normally be high during proestrus, and that may be reduced in saline-and morphine-exposed females. This would be in agreement with studies of Ward, Ward, Winn, and Bielawski (1994) and Carter, Saridaki, and Lightman (1988) showing ''defeminization'' in prenatally stressed adult female rats. If it is possible that prenatal stress and/or prenatal morphine-exposure affect progesterone levels and is responsible for increase or decrease of drug-seeking behavior, then it is possible that this is the reason for having opposite results in the present study relative to the work of others (Grimm & See, 1997;Lynch & Carroll, 2001;Sell et al, 2000).…”

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

Foster mother care but not prenatal morphine exposure enhances cocaine self‐administration in young adult male and female rats

Vathy

Šlamberová

Liu

2007

Developmental Psychobiology

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The present study was designed to investigate cocaine self-administration in adult male and female rats exposed prenatally to morphine. Pregnant dams were injected two times a day with either saline, analgesic doses of morphine or no drug at all (controls) on gestation Days 11-18. One day after birth, litters were cross-fostered such that control dams were paired with one another and their litters were crossed; saline- and morphine-treated dams were paired and half of each saline litter was crossed with half of each morphine litter. Thus, each mother (control, saline, and morphine) raised half of her own and half of the adopted litter. At the age of 60 days, males and females were trained first to lever press for sucrose pellets and then for cocaine. Once the lever-pressing behavior was learned and baseline level of this activity was established, animals received a cocaine (.5 mg/kg per infusion) reward for each correct response on the active lever during the next 9-day session. The data demonstrate that adult control, saline- and morphine-exposed male rats self-administer cocaine at a similar rate independent of their prenatal treatment. Adult female rats self-administer cocaine at a higher rate than male rats. Further, saline- and morphine-exposed females in diestrus self-administer more than females in proestrus phase of the estrous cycle, while control females show no such differences. In addition, fostering induces increase in cocaine self-administration in all groups of male rats regardless of prenatal drug exposure. In females, the only fostering-induced increase is in prenatally saline-exposed female rats raised by morphine-treated foster mother. Thus, our results suggest that the prenatal drug exposure does not induce changes in lever-pressing behavior for cocaine reward in adult male and female rats, but it sensitizes the animals to postnatal stimuli such as gonadal hormones and/or rearing conditions that result in increased drug self-administration.

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Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

Foster mother care but not prenatal morphine exposure enhances cocaine self‐administration in young adult male and female rats

Vathy

Šlamberová

Liu

2007

Developmental Psychobiology

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“…However, in prairie voles, there currently is no evidence for sexual dimorphism in either oxytocin content or receptor density (19,20). The role of oxytocin in stress responses and the effects of other hormones of the HPA axis on oxytocin are complex and may be gender specific (21) and species specific (20). Oxytocin may facilitate the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone and, thus, corticosterone during acute stress, at least in rats (22).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the present study suggests that hormones of the HPA axis have gender-specific and opposite effects in male and female prairie voles. Sex differences in response to stress have been reported in nonmonogamous species (21,25). The cytokine interleukin 6, which activates the HPA axis (26), inhibits sexual behavior in female rats but may increase sexual motivation in males (27).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of stress on social preferences are sexually dimorphic in prairie voles.

DeVries

Taymans

et al. 1996

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

213

182

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Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are monogamous rodents that form pair bonds characterized by a preference for a familiar social partner. In male prairie voles, exposure to either the stress of swimming or exogenous injections of corticosterone facilitate the development of a social preference for a female with which the male was paired after injection or swimming. Conversely, adrenalectomy inhibits partner preference formation in males and the behavioral effects of adrenalectomy are reversed by corticosterone replacement. In female prairie voles, swim stress interferes with the development of social preferences and corticosterone treatments inhibit the formation of partner preferences, while adrenalectomized females form preferences more quickly than adrenally intact controls. Because sex differences in both behavior and physiology are typically reduced in monogamous species, we initially predicted that male and female prairie voles would exhibit similar behavioral responses to corticosterone. However, our findings suggest an unanticipated sexual dimorphism in the physiological processes modulating social preferences. This dimorphic involvement of stress hormones in pair bonding provides a proximate mechanism for regulating social organization, while permitting males and females to adapt their reproductive strategies in response to environmental challenges.

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“…However, it also has been shown that tactile contact releases oxytocin in rats (29). In addition, there is evidence that oxytocin and/or vasopressin may be released during stress (30,31). Oxytocin, vasopressin, opioids, and a variety of other peptides and neurotransmitters are affected by adrenalectomy or alterations in corticosterone titers (32).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of pair bonding in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) by corticosterone.

DeVries

Taymans

et al. 1995

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

160

142

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Glucocorticoid levels in animals may respond to and influence the development of social attachments. This hypothesis was tested in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), monogamous rodents that form long-term heterosexual pair bonds. In socially naive female prairie voles, cohabitation with an unfamiliar male resulted in a dramatic decline in serum corticosterone levels. When corticosterone levels were reduced via adrenalectomy, females developed partner preferences after 1 h of cohabitation, while sham-operated and untreated females required 3 h or more of nonsexual cohabitation to establish a partner preference. In adrenalectomized and intact females, exogenous injections of corticosterone, given prior to social exposure, prevented the development of preferences for the cohabitating male. Although corticosterone inhibited the development of partner preferences, it did not interfer:e with the expression of previously established social preferences. These results suggest that social stimuli can modulate adrenal activity and that adrenal activity, in turn, is capable of influencing the formation of adult social preferences in female prairie voles. The involvement of the adrenal axis in the formation of partner preferences and the subsequent development of pair bonds provides a mechanism through which environmental and social factors may influence social organization in this species.

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Sexual differentiation of oxytocin stress responsiveness: effect of neonatal androgenization, castration and a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonist

Cited by 16 publications

References 22 publications

Foster mother care but not prenatal morphine exposure enhances cocaine self‐administration in young adult male and female rats

Foster mother care but not prenatal morphine exposure enhances cocaine self‐administration in young adult male and female rats

The effects of stress on social preferences are sexually dimorphic in prairie voles.

Modulation of pair bonding in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) by corticosterone.

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