Short- and Long-term Effects of a Dopamine Agonist (Lisuride) on Sex-specific Behavioural Patterns in Rats

Götz, Franziska; Tönjes, Renate; Maywald, J.; Dörner, G

doi:10.1055/s-0029-1211107

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Neonatal administration of dopamine agonist masculinizes social play (Götz et al, 1991; Olesen et al, 2005; Tönjes et al, 1989) and males have higher dopamine content in the early postnatal period across many brain regions (Balan et al, 2000; Connell et al, 2004; Lesage et al, 1996). Although dopamine is traditionally viewed as important for the processing of rewards (Wise and Rompre, 1989), it is more broadly implicated in attention to salient events, which can either be appetitive or aversive (Berridge and Robinson, 1998; Salamone et al, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator odor exposure of rat pups has opposite effects on play by juvenile males and females

Stockman

McCarthy

2017

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior

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Juvenile social play behavior is one of the earliest sexually differentiated behaviors to emerge. In rats, as with most other species that play, males engage in more rough-and-tumble play compared to females. Exposure to early life adversity is a major driver of adult health and can manifest differently in males and females. However, the effects of adverse early life exposure on play behavior in the juvenile period are poorly understood. To address this, male and female neonatal rats were exposed to predator odor (PO), for 5 min/day on PN1-PN3. At the time of exposure to PO, both male and female pups suppressed ultrasonic vocalization and displayed more freezing behavior. Circulating corticosterone increased in males immediately following PO exposure but not in females. The enduring effects of PO exposure were opposite in males compared to females in that PO exposed males decreased social play, while PO exposed females increased play behavior compared to same sex controls. PO exposure did not significantly affect cell genesis in the neonatal dentate gyrus of either sex. PO exposure did not affect anxiety-like behavior assessed in the juvenile period or in adulthood, nor did it affect social interactions in adulthood. This work provides new insight into how sex may interact with adverse early life events to contribute to development of the social consequences of such exposures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator odor exposure of rat pups has opposite effects on play by juvenile males and females

Stockman

McCarthy

2017

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior

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“…Male sexual behaviour can be disrupted by neonatal treatment with dopamine receptor agonists (60) and antagonists (61), as well as dopamine synthesis inhibitors (60). Furthermore, adult female sexual behaviour is defeminised after perinatal treatment with dopamine agonists (62, 63). Dopamine also appears to be important for sexual differentiation of social play behaviour.…”

Section: Neurotransmitters and Play Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dopamine also appears to be important for sexual differentiation of social play behaviour. Neonatal treatment of females with a dopamine receptor agonist, lisuride, masculinises the juvenile and peripubertal play behaviour (62, 63). We have recently confirmed that neonatal treatment of female rats with the dopamine D1‐like receptor agonist, SKF 38393, also masculinises juvenile social play (30).…”

Section: Neurotransmitters and Play Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain Sex Differences and the Organisation of Juvenile Social Play Behaviour

Auger¹,

Olesen²

2009

J Neuroendocrinology

126

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Juvenile social play behaviour is regarded as one of the earliest forms of non-mother directed social behaviour in rodents (1). An appealing aspect of juvenile social play behaviour is that it is sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting higher levels of social play than females, making it an attractive model behaviour to understand both normal juvenile social development and sex differences in social behaviour in a nonreproductive context. It is also becoming clear that, although this sexually dimorphic behaviour is organised by neonatal steroid hormone exposure, the differentiation of social play can be also influenced by the early social environment, such as the amount of maternal care received. Investigations of social play are centered on why and how rats play, brain regions controlling play behaviour, sex differences, and how neurotransmitters and the social environment might influence the organisation of play behaviour. It will be interesting to understand how the social environment impinges on neurotransmitters to influence the steroid-receptor mediated organisation of juvenile social play behaviour. Why do rats play?There are several intriguing concepts with respect to why rats play. Juvenile play behaviour is considered to be rewarding because the opportunity to play can be used as an incentive for maze learning (2, 3) and juvenile rats develop conditioned place preferences for areas associated with play (4). Anticipation of play also elicits 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (5), which are associated with positive affect (6). Indeed, it has been suggested that play is 'joyful' (7) and that some vocalisations during juvenile play might be akin to human laughter (8). Another possible function of play is to establish dominance in the group. After multiple play bouts, juveniles develop dominance hierarchies, which remain relatively stable over the juvenile period (9, 10), although play dominance does not always appear to predict dominance in adulthood (11). Play may also function to better prepare for adult behaviours, such as male sexual and aggressive behaviours (12), because play behaviour predicts adult aggressiveness in males (13). Preventing males from playing has lasting consequences on social (14-16), aggressive (16) and sexual behaviour (16,17). The effect of juvenile isolation on these behaviours appears mainly to be a result of deprivation of play because isolated animals provided with a brief daily period of play do not develop these deficits (16). Therefore, play may serve to prepare for more adaptive social behaviours in adulthood. How do rats play?Juvenile social play behaviour starts to form around 18 days, peaks during the peripubertal period (days 30-40) and wanes after puberty. Play is observed as bites, boxing ⁄ wrestling, pouncing and pinning. Pouncing, the act of jumping on or attacking the nape of a Juvenile social play behaviour is one of the earliest forms of non-mother directed social behaviour in rodents. Juvenile social play behaviour is sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting ...

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“…For example, neonatal treatment with dopamine antagonists and synthesis inhibitors interferes with normal masculinisation of sexual behaviour in males without altering testosterone levels (17, 18). Likewise, neonatal treatment with dopamine D1 receptor agonists appears to masculinise prepubertal social play and defeminise adult sex behaviour in females (16, 19, 20). Taken together, these data suggest that dopamine plays a role in the normal development of sexually dimorphic social play and sexual behaviour.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of Progestin Receptor Expression in the Developing Rat Brain by a Dopamine D1 Receptor Antagonist

Olesen

Auger

2007

J Neuroendocrinology

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Steroid receptors within the developing brain influence a variety of cellular processes that endure into adulthood, altering both behaviour and physiology. Therefore, it is important to understand how steroid receptor expression is regulated during early brain development. Most studies indicate that oestradiol, by acting upon oestrogen receptors, increases the expression of progestin receptors in the developing brain. We have recently observed an additional mechanism by which dopamine can increase the expression of progestin receptors in developing female rat brain. That is, we found that a dopamine D1 receptor agonist can further increase progestin receptor expression by activating oestrogen receptors in a ligand-independent manner within restricted areas of female brain; however, it is unclear whether dopamine D1 receptors are involved in the normally occurring expression of progestin receptors in developing male and female brain. To investigate this, we examined whether a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist can disrupt the normal developmental expression of progestin receptors in both male and female rat brain. We report that treatment with a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist reduces progestin receptor expression within some, but not all, regions of the developing rat brain in a sex-specific manner. Some of the current findings also suggest that dopamine might be acting to prevent sex differences in progestin receptor expression in some areas while contributing to a sex difference in other areas.

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Short- and Long-term Effects of a Dopamine Agonist (Lisuride) on Sex-specific Behavioural Patterns in Rats

Cited by 9 publications

References 25 publications

Predator odor exposure of rat pups has opposite effects on play by juvenile males and females

Predator odor exposure of rat pups has opposite effects on play by juvenile males and females

Brain Sex Differences and the Organisation of Juvenile Social Play Behaviour

Regulation of Progestin Receptor Expression in the Developing Rat Brain by a Dopamine D1 Receptor Antagonist

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