Stimulation of Maternal Behaviour in Rats with Cholecystokinin Octapeptide

Lindén, A.; Uvnäs‐Moberg, Kerstin; Eneroth, P.; Södersten, P.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2826.1989.tb00135.x

Cited by 33 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Our present results provide direct evidence in support of this mechanism for OT pathways as well, and strongly suggest that CCK causes a widespread activation of oxytocinergic neurons within the brain in addition to its obvious effects to stimulate pituitary OT secretion. In this regard, it is also interesting that recent studies have demonstrated that systemic CCK stimulates maternal behavior (28), and under some circumstances lordosis behavior (29), in rats. In conjunction with the well-known effects of central OT injections to stimulate both of these behaviors (30,31), these findings further suggest that systemic CCK administration stimulates secretion of OT from terminals within the CNS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cholecystokinin Activates C‐Fos Expression in Hypothalamic Oxytocin and Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone Neurons

Verbalis

Stricker

Robinson

et al. 1991

J Neuroendocrinology

192

101

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The effect of systemically-administered cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK) on hypothalamic oxytocin, vasopressin, and corticotropinreleasing hormone neurons was studied by analysis of c-fos antigen expression in immunocytochemically-characterized neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. CCK (100 pglkg intraperitoneally) caused a marked increase in nuclear c-fos immunocytochemical staining, which peaked at 60 to 90 min after injection. C-fos expression was found in most magnocellular oxytocin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus and in all magnocellular subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus, but in no vasopressin neurons in either area. C-fos expression was also found in several parvocellular subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus: in oxytocin neurons within the medial and lateral, but not the dorsal, parvocellular subdivisions, and in corticotropinreleasing hormone neurons in the medial parvocellular subdivision. Injection of lower doses of CCK showed that c-fos expression closely paralleled the pattern of pituitary oxytocin secretion in response to CCK, with a threshold for activation at 1 pglkg, near maximal responses by lopglkg, and maximal responses by 100pglkg. These studies demonstrate that the pattern of c-fos expression in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons following systemic CCK administration mirrors the neurosecretory response of these neurons, both with regard to specificity for the peptides secreted as well as intensity of secretion. They also demonstrate that systemic CCK administration activates c-fos expression in parvocellular oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons, and therefore likely causes secretion of oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing hormone within the brain at the terminal fields of these neurons.Previous studies from this and other laboratories have shown that systemic administration of cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulates pituitary secretion of oxytocin (OT) but not vasopressin (AVP) in rats (1, 2). Electrophysiological recordings from hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) neurons have confirmed that CCK causes activation of magnocellular neurons rather than simply releasing OT from pituitary axon terminals (3). Additional studies have demonstrated that the well-known effects of CCK to inhibit food intake (4) and gastric emptying and motility (5-7) are correlated with its effects to stimulate pituitary OT secretion (1, 5, 7-10). However, because peripheral infusions of OT do not affect either food intake (10) or gastric motility (11) in rats, we have postulated that centrally-projecting parvocellular OT neurons may be activated in concert with the pituitary-projecting magnocellular neurons to produce or modulate these diverse behavioral and physiological effects (8, 12).Recent studies have demonstrated that the antigen of the protooncogene c-fos is expressed in the nucleus of many activated neurons, including those in the hypothalamus (13). The present studies utilized immunohistochemical staining for c-fos antigen (14) to identify those hypothal...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cholecystokinin Activates C‐Fos Expression in Hypothalamic Oxytocin and Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone Neurons

Verbalis

Stricker

Robinson

et al. 1991

J Neuroendocrinology

192

101

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“…Oxytocin appears to play an important role in stimulating the onset of maternal behaviour at parturition in oestrogen-primed females [15]. Cholecystokinin, a gut peptide, exerts a mild stimulatory action on maternal care in oestrogen-primed rats [16] and may modulate ongoing maternal behaviour in lactating rats [17]. The opioid peptide, ß-endorphin, and the catecholamines, dopamine and norepinephrine, and serotonin, have received limited attention but may play a role in maternal behaviour [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hormones Associated with Non-Maternal Infant Care: A Review of Mammalian and Avian Studies

Ziegler¹

2000

IJFP

129

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Hormonal changes during non-maternal infant care have been demonstrated in many cooperatively breeding bird species, some monogamous rodents and two species of New World primates. Coevolution of hormones and social traits may have provided for the different breeding systems that occur today. Several hormones have been shown to covary with the breeding systems of vertebrates. Elevated levels of the hormone prolactin with male parenting behaviours are common to many birds, rodents and the callitrichid monkeys Callithrix jacchus and Saguinus oedipus. In birds, prolactin may be elevated in both male and female breeders during various stages of nest building, egg laying, incubating and feeding of young. Testosterone levels appear to have an inverse relationship to prolactin levels during infant care in birds and rodents, but this relationship has not been examined for primates. In cooperatively breeding birds, helpers who remain at the nest also have elevated levels of prolactin when displaying parental care behaviours. Prolactin levels are elevated in helper callitrichid monkeys during the postpartum period. Monogamous male rodents demonstrate elevated prolactin levels with parental care behaviour but, in contrast to the birds, the mechanisms mediating prolactin increase appear to differ for male and female rodents. Two factors may influence male parental behaviours and hormonal changes: stimuli from the pregnant female and stimuli from the newborn pups; whereas maternal behaviours are influenced by the maternal hormones of the female and the pup stimuli. An experiential factor may also influence male parental behaviours. Neuropeptides such as oxytocin and vasopressin appear to be involved in male rodent parental care and there may be an interaction between a series of hormones and neurosecretions and stimuli from mates and pups. Studies of Saguinus oedipus, the cotton-top tamarin, suggest that prolactin levels are responsive to stimuli from contact with infants and the level of infant care experience influences the levels of prolactin with male infant care. Father tamarins also have elevated levels of prolactin before the birth of infants suggesting that cues from the pregnant female are important. Prolactin’s role in parental care may have evolved from prolactin’s role in other reproductive functions. Hormonal regulation of non-maternal care may occur due to a complex interaction of many hormones and neurotransmitters. Studies described here should provide the impetus for further work on parental care hormones in a wide variety of primates.

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“…The role of CCK in the onset of maternal behavior has been equivocal. Linden et al , 1989 [53] demonstrated a fast onset of maternal behavior in ovariectomized, estrogen-treated virgin rats, however, Mann et al , 1995 [54] found no effect of CCK in stimulating maternal behavior in virgin rats, but did find that CCK antagonists disrupted maternal behavior in postpartum, lactating rats. In the VMH specifically, CCK seems to have an inhibitory role in neuronal firing [55] and its binding influenced by the presence of estradiol [56].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene Expression Profiling during Pregnancy in Rat Brain Tissue

Mann

2014

Brain Sciences

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The neurophysiological changes that occur during pregnancy in the female mammal have led to the coining of the phrases “expectant brain” and “maternal brain”. Although much is known of the hormonal changes during pregnancy, alterations in neurotransmitter gene expression have not been well-studied. We examined gene expression in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) during pregnancy based on the fact that this nucleus not only modulates the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy but is also involved in the development of maternal behavior. This study was designed to identify genes that are differentially expressed between mid- and late-pregnancy in order to determine which genes may be associated with the onset and display of maternal behavior and the development of the maternal brain. A commercially available PCR array containing 84 neurotransmitter receptor and regulator genes (RT2 Profiler PCR array) was used. Brains were harvested from rats on days 12 and 21 of gestation, frozen, and micropunched to obtain the VMH. Total RNA was extracted, cDNA prepared, and SYBR Green qPCR was performed. In the VMH, expression of five genes were reduced on day 21 of gestation compared to day 12 (Chrna6, Drd5, Gabrr2, Prokr2, and Ppyr1) whereas Chat, Chrm5, Drd4, Gabra5, Gabrg2, LOC289606, Nmu5r2, and Npy5r expression was elevated. Five genes were chosen to be validated in an additional experiment based on their known involvement in maternal behavior onset. This experiment confirmed that gene expression for both the CCK-A receptor and the GABAAR γ2 receptor increases at the end of pregnancy. In general, these results identify genes possibly involved in the establishment of the maternal brain in rats and indicate possible new genes to be investigated.

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Stimulation of Maternal Behaviour in Rats with Cholecystokinin Octapeptide

Cited by 33 publications

References 32 publications

Cholecystokinin Activates C‐Fos Expression in Hypothalamic Oxytocin and Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone Neurons

Cholecystokinin Activates C‐Fos Expression in Hypothalamic Oxytocin and Corticotropin‐Releasing Hormone Neurons

Hormones Associated with Non-Maternal Infant Care: A Review of Mammalian and Avian Studies

Gene Expression Profiling during Pregnancy in Rat Brain Tissue

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