Thermal control of mother-young contact in rats

Leon, Michael; Croskerry, P. G.; Smith, Grant K.

doi:10.1016/0031-9384(78)90021-5

Cited by 237 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Interestingly, this decline in nest time did not result from a decrease in the number of nesting bouts, which actually increased towards the end of the study (Figure lB), but from a decrease in the length of each bout. In this respect, the present results replicate previous findings employing automated nesting chambers (Leon, Croskerry, & Smith, 1978). Importantly, the mothers fed ethanol spent more time on the nest nursing their young than the pairfed controls, although this difference was restricted to the middle of the nursing period.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Effects of postnatal alcohol exposure on maternal nesting behavior in the rat

Bond

1979

Psychobiology

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Seven female Wistar rats were fed a liquid diet containing Sustagen and ethanol through Days 1-17 of lactation. Six control females were pair-fed an identical liquid diet except for isocaloric substitution of sucrose for ethanol. Continuous monitoring of maternal nesting behavior, employing automated nesting chambers, indicated that the mothers fed ethanol spent more time on the nest nursing their young than the pair-fed controls during the middle of the observation period. This increase in nesting time may be due to a decrease in activity in the ethanol-fed mothers or due to greater heat loss in their pups, allowing them to remain longer on the nest. This increased nesting time occurs when the pups' motor effectiveness and exploratory drive are developing, and may account for the long-term behavioral changes seen in the pups.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Thus, the females fed ethanol may have been less active and spent more time lying on the nest as a result. Second, Leon et al, (1978) have shown that nest bout durations are normally limited by a rise in maternal temperature brought about by huddling with the litter. Ethanol is known to cause vasodilation and heat loss (Ritchie, 1965).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of postnatal alcohol exposure on maternal nesting behavior in the rat

Bond

1979

Psychobiology

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“…Suckling and nursing behavior is pro foundly influenced by serotonin effects as is appetite; however, we also observed that the pups were not gathered in the nest for nursing, which suggests changes in maternal-offspring interactions. Failure to be nurtured could be due to the lack of such signals as emitting an ultrasonic cry (Winslow and Inse11993), or due to elevated body temperature (Leon et al 1978).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Gestational Exposure to Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in Rats: Preliminary Behavioral and Neurochemical Studies

Whitaker‐Azmitia

Zhang

Clarke

1994

Neuropsychopharmacol

103

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Monoamine neurotransmitters are important in the development of the immature mammalian brain, prior to assuming their role as neurotransmitters. The endogenous levels of these transmitters are highly regulated by the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). Thus, any change in this enzyme should have a profound effect on brain development. In order to test this hypothesis, we treated developing rat pups with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-Is), dorgyline (MAO-A, 3 mg/kg), and deprenyl (MAO-B, 3 mg/kg) throughout gestation (MAO-I-birth), or throughout gestation and to sacrifice (MAO-I-sac). The animals were analyzed for serotonin and dopamine terminal density, using 3H-paroxetine and 3H-GBR 12935, respectively. Whereas there were no changes in the development of the dopamine system, the serotonin system was severely KEYWORDS: Serotonin; Monoamine oxidase; Monoamine oxidase inhibitors; Deprenyl; Clorgyline; Neurodevelopment; Impulsivity; Hyperactivity; Norrie's disease. affected, particularly in the cortex that showed a significant reduction of innervation at 30 days postnatal. The animals reached all normal development milestones on schedule, and had no changes in measures of anxiety (% light/dark); however, the animals showed increased open field activity and deficits in a passive avoidance paradigm, which may be a measure of impulsivity. The MAO-I-sac animals were severely impaired, showing stereotypic behavior, seizures, and eventually visual impairments. Our results are discussed in terms of relevance to human disease states, such as atypical Norrie's disease, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. As well, our results should be used to caution against the use of MAO-Is in women of child-bearing age.

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“…Maternal separation involved the same procedures; however, the pups remained away from the dam for 180 minutes. In the course of normal mother-pup interactions in the laboratory rat, the mother is routinely off the litter for periods of 20-25 minutes (the internest bout interval, see Leon et al 1978;Jans and Woodside 1990). Thus, the maternal separation paradigm, unlike handling, represents the deprivation of maternal care.…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Early Rearing Environment on the Development of GABAA and Central Benzodiazepine Receptor Levels and Novelty-Induced Fearfulness in the Rat

Caldji

Francis

Sharma

et al. 2000

Neuropsychopharmacology

516

333

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We compared the effects of handling or maternal separation from the day following birth until postnatal day 14 on behavioral responses to novelty and on GABA A and central benzodiazepine (CBZ) receptor levels in the rat. As adults, handled animals showed reduced startle responsivity, increased exploration in a novel open field, and decreased novelty-induced suppression of feeding relative to the handled (H) and/or maternal separation (MS) groups. As compared with handled animals, both nonhandled (NH) and MS animals displayed: (1) reduced GABA A receptor levels in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the n. tractus solitarius (NTS); (2) reduced CBZ receptor sites in the central and lateral n. of the amygdala, the frontal cortex, and in the LC and NTS; and (3) The development of behavioral and endocrine responses to acute stress is greatly influenced by the early postnatal rearing environment (for reviews see Levine 1975;Denenberg 1964;Meaney et al. 1996). These environmental effects persist throughout the life of the animal, resulting in stable individual differences in stress reactivity. Indeed, there is considerable plasticity in the development of these systems. Postnatal handling during the first week of life greatly decreases behavioral fearfulness and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses to stress; whereas, repeated periods of prolonged maternal separation produce enhanced reactivity. Increased stress reactivity has been associated with an enhanced risk for several forms of illness, including affective disorders, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and coronary heart disease (Chrousos and Gold 1992;Higley et al. 1991;McEwen and Steller 1993;Seckl and Meaney 1994). Thus, in determining the magnitude of behavioral and endocrine responses to stress, early life events NO . 3 contribute to vulnerability to disease in later life (Seckl and Meaney 1994). The critical question, then, concerns the mechanisms for these early environmental effects on the development of behavioral and endocrine responses to stress.Postnatal handling has been shown to decrease fearfulness to novelty (Levine 1962(Levine , 1957Denenberg 1964;Bodnoff et al. 1987). As adults, handled (H) rats show reduced novelty-induced suppression of appetitive behavior and increased exploration in novel environments. The behavioral effects of repeated maternal separation in rats are less documented, although, in primates, there is considerable evidence for enhanced fearfulness in animals exposed to maternal separation in early life (Sackett 1969).The mechanisms underlying these early environmental effects on behavioral responses to novelty are unclear. Bodnoff et al. (1987) reported that neonatal handling increased forebrain central benzodiazepine (CBZ) receptor levels, with no indication of where in the forebrain such differences might exist. Nevertheless, these data are certainly consistent with the wellestablished, anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines on behavioral responses to novelty (see File 1995 for a review). Moreover, these findings are a...

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Thermal control of mother-young contact in rats

Cited by 237 publications

References 39 publications

Effects of postnatal alcohol exposure on maternal nesting behavior in the rat

Effects of postnatal alcohol exposure on maternal nesting behavior in the rat

Effects of Gestational Exposure to Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors in Rats: Preliminary Behavioral and Neurochemical Studies

The Effects of Early Rearing Environment on the Development of GABAA and Central Benzodiazepine Receptor Levels and Novelty-Induced Fearfulness in the Rat

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