Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| cellular mechanisms of social attachment. | pharmacological studies in prairie voles have suggested that the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin play important roles in behaviors associated with monogamy, including affiliation, paternal care, and pair bonding. our laboratory has investigated the cellular and neuroendocrine mechanisms by which these peptides influence affiliative behavior and social attachment in prairie voles. monogamous prairie voles have a higher density of oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens than do nonmonog ... | 2001 | 11534973 |
| facilitation of affiliation and pair-bond formation by vasopressin receptor gene transfer into the ventral forebrain of a monogamous vole. | behaviors associated with monogamy, including pair-bond formation, are facilitated by the neuropeptide vasopressin and are prevented by a vasopressin receptor [v1a receptor (v1ar)] antagonist in the male prairie vole. the neuroanatomical distribution of v1ar dramatically differs between monogamous and nonmonogamous species. v1ar binding is denser in the ventral pallidal region of several unrelated monogamous species compared with nonmonogamous species. because the ventral pallidum is involved in ... | 2001 | 11549749 |
| food restriction affects the gonadotropin releasing hormone neuronal system of male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | individuals of species inhabiting temperate and boreal latitudes optimize the timing of energetically costly processes by curtailing nonessential energetically demanding processes when environmental conditions are not favourable. one proximate environmental variable used to fine-tune moment-to-moment changes in reproductive physiology and behaviour is food intake. the neuroendocrine mechanisms by which food restriction leads to the cessation of reproduction in seasonally breeding rodent species ... | 2001 | 11578529 |
| the prairie vole vomeronasal organ is a target for gonadotropin-releasing hormone. | gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gnrh) is present in nervus terminalis neurons in chemosensory nerve fascicles in vertebrates. in rodents, the majority of gnrh fibers are located within vomeronasal nerves. we have shown that gnrh can alter vomeronasal receptor neuron responses to odors. in this study, using prairie voles, we tested the hypotheses that (i) gnrh-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons project to the vomeronasal organ and accessory olfactory bulb; (ii) a radioactive-labeled gnrh agonist, buser ... | 2001 | 11705805 |
| differential expression of vasopressin, oxytocin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone messenger rna in the paraventricular nucleus of the prairie vole brain following stress. | forced swimming, as an effective stressor, has been found to facilitate the development of pair bonds in male but to interfere with this behaviour in female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). in the present study, we found that forced swimming differentially influenced the expression of messenger rna for vasopressin, oxytocin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone (crh) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (pvn) in the prairie vole brain. forced swimming did not alter vasopressin ... | 2001 | 11722702 |
| a possible function of the preference for hind nipples in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | prairie vole pups (microtus ochrogaster) in laboratory cages prefer hind nipples. in this research, the author observed 8 litters of prairie voles in a seminatural environment to confirm the preference for hind nipples and to determine if young on hind nipples were groomed more frequently or dislodged less frequently than were young on other nipples. prairie vole pups in seminatural environments preferred hind nipples; this preference was illustrated by the progressive use of more anterior nippl ... | 2001 | 11824908 |
| parental responsiveness is feminized after neonatal castration in virgin male prairie voles, but is not masculinized by perinatal testosterone in virgin females. | we previously found a large sex difference in the parental responsiveness of adult virgin prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) such that most males are spontaneously parental, whereas most females are not. because this sex difference is independent of the gonadal hormones normally circulating in adult virgin voles, the present study examined whether perinatal hormones influence the development of this sex difference. males were treated prenatally (via their pregnant dam) with both the androgen r ... | 2002 | 11863386 |
| the effects of social environment on adult neurogenesis in the female prairie vole. | in the mammalian brain, adult neurogenesis has been found to occur primarily in the subventricular zone (svz) and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (dg) and to be influenced by both exogenous and endogenous factors. in the present study, we examined the effects of male exposure or social isolation on neurogenesis in adult female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). newly proliferated cells labeled by a cell proliferation marker, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (brdu), were found in the svz and dg, as we ... | 2002 | 11932953 |
| multi-male mating, probability of conception, and litter size in the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). | we conducted a mating experiment in the laboratory using prairie voles, microtus ochrogaster, to document that multi-male mating (mmm) can occur in this supposedly monogamous species and to test two hypotheses for the advantages of mmm in female mammals. the two hypotheses are that mmm (1) increases the probability of pregnancy and (2) increases litter size. we also tested the hypothesis that multiple copulations, rather than multiple partners, increases litter size and/or probability of pregnan ... | 2002 | 11955776 |
| corticotropin-releasing factor induces social preferences in male prairie voles. | exposure to stressors facilitates the formation of social preferences in monogamous male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). in the present study, the hypothesis was tested that treatment with corticotropin-releasing factor (crf), a neuropeptide released during stress, is capable of inducing social preferences in male prairie voles. the effects of five doses of crf (0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 ng; i.c.v.) on social preference were assessed. exogenous crf did not alter the amount of social conta ... | 2002 | 12084663 |
| social factors regulate female-female aggression and affiliation in prairie voles. | although patterns of aggression and affiliation may play a major role in social organization, the mechanisms underlying these behaviors are not well understood. the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social and hormonal experience on female-female aggression and affiliation in prairie voles, microtus ochrogaster. prairie voles exhibit the traits of social monogamy and tend to live in communal families structured around a male-female pair. it is rare for two unrelated females wit ... | 2002 | 12126993 |
| exposure to short days, but not short-term melatonin, enhances humoral immunity of male syrian hamsters (mesocricetus auratus). | many non-tropical rodent species rely on photoperiod as the primary cue to co-ordinate seasonally appropriate changes in physiology and behavior. among these seasonal changes, several rodent species (e.g. deer mice, prairie voles, siberian hamsters) adjust immune function in response to changes in ambient day lengths. the goals of the present study were to examine the effects of photoperiod on immune function of syrian hamsters (mesocricetus auratus), and to determine the role of melatonin in me ... | 2002 | 12153446 |
| variation in the vasopressin v1a receptor promoter and expression: implications for inter- and intraspecific variation in social behaviour. | instability in highly repetitive microsatellite dna located in the regulatory regions of genes may be a major factor producing diversity in both region-specific gene expression and the resulting phenotypes. polymorphisms in promoter regions affecting expression of genes involved in regulating behaviour may play a role in generating individual variation in behaviour, including psychopathologies in humans, and probably are also important for the evolution of behaviour. here we discuss the prairie ... | 2002 | 12193181 |
| vole retina is a target for gonadotropin-releasing hormone. | gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gnrh) projections from the terminal nerve to the retina are common in fish, but have not been reported in mammals. however, gnrh fibers have been seen previously in the optic nerves (but not retinas) of rats and monkeys. using prairie voles, we tested the hypotheses that (1) gnrh-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons project into the optic nerve and (2) the retina expresses gnrh receptor mrna as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) combine ... | 2002 | 12231246 |
| effects of dopamine receptor antagonism with haloperidol on nurturing behavior in the biparental prairie vole. | dopamine (da) receptor activity in lactating rats is critical for retrieval and licking of pups, whereas its inactivity facilitates quiescent nursing. the role of da in the maternal behavior of other species and its role in paternal behavior are unknown. this experiment examined the effects of the da antagonist haloperidol (hal) on parental behavior in the biparental prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). three days after birth of pups, parental behavior of male and female voles was observed for 3 ... | 2002 | 12376148 |
| scent-marking behaviour by male prairie voles, microtus ochrogaster, in response to the scent of opposite- and same-sex conspecifics. | we conducted an experiment using the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) to test predictions associated with the proposed functions of scent marking as a sexual attractant, in reproductive competition, and as a self-advertisement. we allowed an oestrous female, an anoestrous female, and an adult male to scent mark three portions of a clean substrate and then exposed a second male to this substrate for secondary marking. we did not support a sexual attraction hypothesis in that males did not plac ... | 2002 | 12429389 |
| photoperiodic and temporal influences on chemosensory induction of brain fos expression in female prairie voles. | prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) typically stop breeding during winter. male prairie voles respond to winter day lengths with gonadal regression, whereas female voles are relatively unresponsive to photoperiod. unlike commonly studied laboratory rodents, female prairie voles do not exhibit spontaneous oestrous cycles. instead, females are induced into oestrus by chemosensory cues from conspecific male urine. the present study investigated the interaction among day length, chemosensory cues a ... | 2003 | 12535158 |
| cohabitation induced fos immunoreactivity in the monogamous prairie vole. | cohabitation of sexually nai;ve male and female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) triggers a cascade of physiological changes that result in the formation of stable pair bonds. in the present study we used the expression of c-fos protein to identify cns regions activated during initial social contact in heterosexual, male/male and female/female pairs. sexually naive males and females were randomly assigned to one of five groups: control- no cohabitation, or cohabitation for 1 h with an unrela ... | 2003 | 12591139 |
| female prairie voles do not choose males based on their frequency of scent marking. | we conducted an experiment to test three alternative hypotheses for the function of frequency of scent marking in male prairie voles, microtus ochrogaster: (1) sexual attraction (to advertise male quality for mating); (2) reproductive competition; and (3) self-advertisement or individual identity. in laboratory experiments, males deposited scent on all areas of a bare substrate, and more in an area next to a stimulus animal than other areas, regardless of the stimulus animal's sex. females did n ... | 2003 | 12642166 |
| neuronal activation in the caudal brainstem associated with mating by voles. | the expression of c-fos, a marker of neuronal activation, was examined in the gracile nucleus (gn) and nucleus of the solitary tract (nts) after social interactions, including mating, between male and female prairie voles. in gn, mating, but not non-sexual interactions, induced similar significant increases in c-fos immunoreactivity in both males and females. the increased immunoreactivity was concentrated in medial and dorsal gn suggesting that expression was driven by stimulation of reproducti ... | 2003 | 12686379 |
| a critical role for nucleus accumbens dopamine in partner-preference formation in male prairie voles. | although the role of nucleus accumbens (nacc) dopamine (da) in reward learning has been extensively studied, few investigations have addressed its involvement in learning socially relevant information. here, we have examined the involvement of nacc da in social attachment of the "monogamous" prairie vole (microtus orchrogaster). we first demonstrated that da is necessary for the formation of social attachment in male prairie voles, because administration of haloperidol blocked, whereas apomorphi ... | 2003 | 12716957 |
| differential effects of intraspecific interactions on the striatal dopamine system in social and non-social voles. | we used in vivo microdialysis to examine the responses to intraspecific social interactions in the striatal dopamine systems of females of two vole species displaying vastly different social structures. both highly social prairie voles and asocial meadow voles had similar increases in extracellular dopamine associated with mating. there was a species-specific effect of social condition on extracellular dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (dopac). exposure to a conspecific male significantly decreased ext ... | 2003 | 12732259 |
| reductions in total body fat decrease humoral immunity. | mounting an immune response requires substantial energy, and it is well known that marked reductions in energy availability (e.g. starvation) can suppress immune function, thus increasing disease susceptibility and compromising survival. we tested the hypothesis that moderate reductions in energy availability impair humoral immunity. specifically, we examined the effects of partial lipectomy (lipx) on humoral immunity in two seasonally breeding rodent species, prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster ... | 2003 | 12803904 |
| central expression of c-fos in neonatal male and female prairie voles in response to treatment with oxytocin. | early postnatal exposure to both exogenous and endogenous oxytocin (ot) can have long-term effects on behavior and physiology, although the mechanisms of these effects are not known. c-fos expression was used to investigate the immediate neural effects of neonatal manipulations of ot in male and female prairie voles. on the day of birth prairie vole pups received an intraperitoneal injection of ot, a selective ot antagonist (ota), or saline (vehicle control), while an additional group was handle ... | 2003 | 12855184 |
| social behavior and comparative genomics: new genes or new gene regulation? | molecular analyses of social behavior are distinguished by the use of an unusually broad array of animal models. this is advantageous for a number of reasons, including the opportunity for comparative genomic analyses that address fundamental issues in the molecular biology of social behavior. one issue relates to the kinds of changes in genome structure and function that occur to give rise to social behavior. this paper considers one aspect of this issue, whether social evolution involves new g ... | 2002 | 12882364 |
| viral vector-mediated gene transfer of the vole v1a vasopressin receptor in the rat septum: improved social discrimination and active social behaviour. | this study explores the effects of enhancing vasopressin v1a receptor expression in the septum using viral vector-mediated gene transfer on social discrimination and social interactions. bilateral infusion of an adeno-associated viral vector containing the prairie vole v1a receptor gene (v1ar-aav) regulated by a neuron-specific enolase promoter resulted in a stable increase in v1a receptor binding density in the rat septum without affecting oxytocin receptor density. control animals were infused ... | 2003 | 12887422 |
| developmental exposure to oxytocin facilitates partner preferences in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | the authors investigated the effects of postnatal manipulations of oxytocin (ot) on the subsequent tendency to form a partner preference in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). neonatally, males received either an injection of ot, an oxytocin antagonist (ota), 0.9% saline vehicle, or handling without injection. as adults, males were tested for partner preference following 1 hr of cohabitation with a nonestrous female. in a 3-hr preference test, males neonatally exposed to exogenous ot exhi ... | 2003 | 12931969 |
| developmental effects of oxytocin on stress response: single versus repeated exposure. | both exogenous and endogenous oxytocin (ot) are associated with an attenuated stress response. increased levels of ot in the early postnatal period have been shown to affect behavior and physiology in rodents, and these effects last into adulthood, suggesting an organizational role for ot during development. we investigated the effects of neonatal exposure to ot on the development of the stress response in male and female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). ot or an ot antagonist (ota) was adm ... | 2003 | 12954422 |
| developmental consequences of oxytocin. | this paper examines the developmental effects of the mammalian neuropeptide, oxytocin (ot). in adults, ot is the most abundant neuropeptide in the hypothalamus and serves integrative functions, coordinating behavioral and physiological processes. for example, ot has been implicated in parturition, lactation, maternal behavior and pair bond formation. in addition, ot is capable of moderating behavioral responses to various stressors as well as the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal ... | 2003 | 12954433 |
| extraordinary diversity in vasopressin (v1a) receptor distributions among wild prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster): patterns of variation and covariation. | the vasopressin v1a receptor is a gene known to be central to species differences in social behavior, including differences between the monogamous prairie vole and its promiscuous congeners. to examine how individual differences compare with species differences, we characterize variability in the expression of the vasopressin v1a receptor (v1ar) in a large sample of wild prairie voles. we find a surprising degree of intraspecific variation in v1ar binding that does not seem attributable to exper ... | 2003 | 14566950 |
| nucleus accumbens oxytocin and dopamine interact to regulate pair bond formation in female prairie voles. | although oxytocin (ot) and dopamine (da) have been implicated in pair bond formation in monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), the nature of potential interactions between these two neurochemical systems and the brain circuits important for such interactions in the regulation of pair bonding have not been explored. here, we demonstrated that access to both ot and da d2-type receptors is necessary for pair bond formation, as blockade of either type of receptor prevented partner preferen ... | 2003 | 14568015 |
| forebrain c-fos expression under conditions conducive to pair bonding in female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | repeated mating over a period of 6 h facilitates pair-bond formation in monogamous prairie voles. using this paradigm, we examined fos expression in brain areas implicated in social behavior in voles. we hypothesized that the presence of the fos protein after a period of time sufficient for pair bonding to occur may indicate brain areas that are especially important in pair bond formation. we found elevated levels of fos immunoreactivity in the medial and cortical amygdala, medial preoptic area ... | 2003 | 14568313 |
| sex differences and developmental effects of oxytocin on aggression and social behavior in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | various hormones, including sex steroids and neuropeptides, have been implicated in aggression. in this study we examined (1) sex differences in intrasexual aggression in naïve prairie voles; (2) the effects of developmental manipulations of oxytocin on intrasexual aggression; and (3) changes in patterns of intrasexual aggression after brief exposure to an animal of the opposite sex. within 24 h of birth, infants were randomly assigned to receive either an injection of oxytocin (ot) or oxytocin ... | 2003 | 14609540 |
| the effects of neonatal castration on the subsequent behavioural response to centrally administered arginine vasopressin and the expression of v1a receptors in adult male prairie voles. | centrally administered arginine vasopressin induces the formation of partner preferences in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). the expression of many vasopressin-regulated behaviours is testosterone dependent. in this study, we tested the hypothesis that early exposure to gonadal steroids are necessary to establish the typical response of adult male prairie voles to exogenous vasopressin, predicting that adult males which were castrated neonatally would not form partner preferences in re ... | 2003 | 14622431 |
| brain mast cells are influenced by chemosensory cues associated with estrus induction in female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | historically, the brain has been viewed as protected from the infiltration of peripheral hematopoietic cells by the blood-brain barrier. however, numerous immune cell types have been found in the central nervous system (cns). mast cells, granulocytic immune cells, are found in the cns of birds and mammals and their numbers and location are influenced by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including reproductive behavior and endocrine status. the present study used female prairie voles (microtu ... | 2003 | 14644631 |
| ventral striatopallidal oxytocin and vasopressin v1a receptors in the monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). | oxytocin receptors (otr) and vasopressin v1a receptors (v1ar) in the ventral forebrain play critical roles in the formation of pair bonds in the monogamous prairie vole. previous reports have been inconsistent in the identification of the specific brain regions in the ventral forebrain that express these receptors. to delineate more clearly the neuroanatomical boundaries of the otr and v1ar fields in this species, we compared otr and v1ar binding in adjacent brain sections and also with markers ... | 2004 | 14689486 |
| size of the vomeronasal organ in wild microtus with different mating strategies. | most studies on mammalian vomeronasal organ (vno) have been on laboratory-bred animals. our present study examines the vno in wild-caught meadow voles (microtus pennsylvanicus: n=16) and prairie voles (m. ochrogaster: n=15). these species vary in their mating strategies and degree of parental care by males. m. ochrogaster exhibits pair bonding and more paternal care compared to m. pennsylvanicus, a promiscuous species. we hypothesize that sexual dimorphism will occur in the promiscuous species b ... | 2003 | 14711031 |
| the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster): an animal model for behavioral neuroendocrine research on pair bonding. | pair bond formation has been investigated much less than many other social behaviors, perhaps in part because traditional laboratory mice and rats do not exhibit this behavior. however, pair bonding is common among monogamous animals such as the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). in this review, we discuss how the prairie vole has been used as a model system to investigate the neurobiology of pair bonding. descriptions include neuroanatomical differences between monogamous and non-monogamous v ... | 2004 | 14752206 |
| sex differences and developmental effects of manipulations of oxytocin on alloparenting and anxiety in prairie voles. | in adult animals, peptide hormones, including oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, have been implicated in both parental behavior and the modulation of anxiety. the purpose of this study was to examine the consequences of developmental manipulations of oxytocin for the later expression of alloparental behavior as well as behavioral responses to a novel environment, the elevated plus maze (epm). prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), a cooperatively breeding species, were selected for this study. on ... | 2004 | 14994263 |
| vasopressin-dependent neural circuits underlying pair bond formation in the monogamous prairie vole. | arginine vasopressin and its v1a receptor subtype (v1ar) are critical for pair bond formation between adult prairie voles. however, it is unclear which brain circuits are involved in this vasopressin-mediated facilitation of pair bond formation. here, we examined mating-induced fos expression in several brain regions involved in sociosexual and reward circuitry in male prairie voles. consistent with studies in other species, fos expression was induced in several regions known to be involved in s ... | 2004 | 15051143 |
| the role of vasopressin in the genetic and neural regulation of monogamy. | arginine vasopressin modulates pairbond formation in the monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). our laboratory has investigated the genetic and neural mechanisms by which vasopressin and its v1a receptor (v1ar) regulate social attachment between mates. non-monogamous vole species show strikingly different distribution patterns of brain v1ar expression compared to monogamous species, and these patterns are thought to arise from species differences in the respective promoter sequences of ... | 2004 | 15089970 |
| both oxytocin and vasopressin may influence alloparental behavior in male prairie voles. | neuropeptides, especially oxytocin (ot) and arginine vasopressin (avp), have been implicated in several features of monogamy including alloparenting. the purpose of the present study was to examine the role of ot and avp in alloparental behavior in reproductively naïve male prairie voles. males received intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (acsf), ot, an ot receptor antagonist (ota), avp, an avp receptor antagonist (avpa), or combinations of ota and avpa and ... | 2004 | 15109910 |
| neonatal manipulations of oxytocin alter expression of oxytocin and vasopressin immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in a gender-specific manner. | early postnatal manipulations of oxytocin have long-term behavioral and physiological consequences; the present study examined the hypothesis that oxytocin or its absence influences the subsequent expression of either oxytocin or arginine vasopressin in the cns. on postnatal day 1 female and male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) received a single i.p. injection of oxytocin (3 microg), oxytocin antagonist (0.3 microg), or 50 microl of isotonic saline or were only handled. on postnatal days 1, ... | 2004 | 15120854 |
| individual-based spatially-explicit model of an herbivore and its resource: the effect of habitat reduction and fragmentation. | we present an individual-based, spatially-explicit model of the dynamics of a small mammal and its resource. the life histories of each individual animal are modeled separately. the individuals can have the status of residents or wanderers and belong to behaviorally differing groups of juveniles or adults and males or females. their territory defending and monogamous behavior is taken into consideration. the resource, green vegetation, grows depending on seasonal climatic characteristics and is ... | 2004 | 15127897 |
| effects of neonatal oxytocin manipulations on male reproductive potential in prairie voles. | oxytocin (ot) modulates adult mammalian sexual behavior, sperm production and transport, and steroidogenesis; however, the consequences of developmental manipulations of oxytocin have received little attention. the purpose of this experiment was to determine whether neonatal exposure to ot, an oxytocin antagonist (ota), saline (sal), or handling (han)-only would have long-term effects on reproductive potential in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). adult males were observed for 24 h with ... | 2004 | 15135025 |
| sexual dimorphism and the nmda receptor in alloparental behavior in juvenile prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) exhibits parental behavior in both males and females and extensive alloparenting in juveniles. the authors studied the effects on juvenile alloparenting of antagonists for the pcp, glycine, and glutamate sites on the n-methyl-d-aspartate (nmda) receptor. in male voles, all 3 drugs had an inverted-u dose-response curve. this change could not be attributed to fear of the pup or a nonspecific impairment of cognition, level of locomotor activity, or motor coor ... | 2004 | 15174936 |
| pair bonding and "the widow effect" in female prairie voles. | we conducted field and laboratory experiments with the well-studied monogamous prairie vole, microtus ochrogaster, to distinguish among three hypotheses for the failure of females that lose their mates to bond with a new male ("the widow effect"). the reproductive value hypothesis predicts that males prefer young to older females because they potentially have a longer reproductive lifespan. the mate rejection hypothesis predicts that females will prevent repairing by aggressively deterring males ... | 2004 | 15182925 |
| enhanced partner preference in a promiscuous species by manipulating the expression of a single gene. | the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of complex behaviour are poorly understood. the mammalian genus microtus provides an excellent model for investigating the evolution of social behaviour. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) exhibit a monogamous social structure in nature, whereas closely related meadow voles (microtus pennsylvanicus) are solitary and polygamous. in male prairie voles, both vasopressin and dopamine act in the ventral forebrain to regulate selective affiliation be ... | 2004 | 15201909 |
| intraspecific variation in estrogen receptor alpha and the expression of male sociosexual behavior in two populations of prairie voles. | estrogen (e) regulates a variety of male sociosexual behaviors. we hypothesize that there is a relationship between the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (eralpha) and the degree of male social behavior. to test this hypothesis, eralpha immunoreactivity (ir) was compared in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) from illinois (il), which are highly social, and kansas (kn), which are less social. the expression of androgen receptors (ar) in males also was compared between populations. the exp ... | 2004 | 15246861 |
| zanthoxylum piperitum (dc), a potential feeding deterrent for mammals: studies with microtus ochrogaster (wagner). | total extract from the fruit of szechuan pepper (zanthoxylum piperitum dc), the volatile components of the extract and a non-volatile fraction containing alkylamides (nva fraction) are feeding deterrents for rats. the present study investigated the effectiveness of these natural repellents in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster wagner). two-choice feeding trials were conducted during which food-deprived voles were offered choices between oat-bran wafers. in experiment 1, 10 voles were given thre ... | 2004 | 15260291 |
| neurochemical regulation of pair bonding in male prairie voles. | pair bonding represents social attachment between mates and is common among monogamous animals. the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) is a monogamous rodent in which mating facilitates pair bond formation. in this review, we first discuss how prairie voles have been used as an excellent model for neurobiological studies of pair bonding. we then primarily focus on male prairie voles to summarize recent findings from neuroanatomical, neurochemical, cellular, molecular, and behavioral studies imp ... | 2004 | 15488548 |
| neonatal manipulation of oxytocin influences female reproductive behavior and success. | during early neonatal development, oxytocin (ot) may influence the expression of adult behavior and physiology. here we test the prediction that early postnatal exposure to ot or an oxytocin antagonist (ota) can affect the subsequent expression of sexual receptivity and reproductive success of females. to test this hypothesis, female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) received one of four treatments within 24 h of birth. three groups received an intraperitoneal injection of ot, ota, or isotoni ... | 2005 | 15579262 |
| unexpected effects of perinatal gonadal hormone manipulations on sexual differentiation of the extrahypothalamic arginine-vasopressin system in prairie voles. | the sexually dimorphic extrahypothalamic arginine-vasopressin (avp) projections from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the lateral septum (ls) and lateral habenula (lhb) are denser in males than females and, in rats, require males' perinatal exposure to gonadal hormones but the absence of such exposure in females. we examined perinatal hormone effects on development of this sex difference in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), which show atypical effects of hormones on sexual differen ... | 2004 | 15591140 |
| neuropeptides and the social brain: potential rodent models of autism. | conducting basic scientific research on a complex psychiatric disorder, such as autism, is a challenging prospect. it is difficult to dissociate the fundamental neurological and psychological processes that are disturbed in autism and, therefore, it is a challenge to discover accurate and reliable animal models of the disease. because of their role in animal models of social processing and social bonding, the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are strong candidates for dysregulation in autis ... | 2005 | 15749248 |
| effects of perchlorate exposure on resting metabolism, peak metabolism, and thyroid function in the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). | perchlorate, the oxidizer component in most solid rocket propellant formulations, is known to inhibit the uptake of iodide into the thyroid gland, thereby reducing production of the thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine and thyroxine (t4). thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in endothermic organisms and are responsible for maintenance of homeothermic body temperatures. little is known about the effects of perchlorate on metabolic capacity. the objectives of the present study were to determine if s ... | 2005 | 15779769 |
| species and sex differences in brain distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtypes 1 and 2 in monogamous and promiscuous vole species. | corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) receptor subtypes 1 and 2 have been implicated in rodent models of anxiety, but much less is known about the crf system and social behavior. both corticosterone and central crf receptors modulate pair bonding in the monogamous prairie vole. using receptor autoradiography, we mapped crfr(1) and crfr(2) in the brains of two monogamous vole species, the prairie vole and pine vole, and two promiscuous vole species, the meadow vole and montane vole. we found marke ... | 2005 | 15861459 |
| species differences in brain distribution of cart mrna and cart peptide between prairie and meadow voles. | reward mechanisms are involved in pair bond formation in monogamous prairie voles. given the potential role of cart (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) in reward, and its possible role as a third neurohypophysial hormone, we examined the brain distribution of cart mrna and peptide in monogamous prairie voles compared to congener promiscuous meadow voles. large species differences in cart mrna distribution were apparent in the nucleus accumbens, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hi ... | 2005 | 15919059 |
| microsatellite instability generates diversity in brain and sociobehavioral traits. | repetitive microsatellites mutate at relatively high rates and may contribute to the rapid evolution of species-typical traits. we show that individual alleles of a repetitive polymorphic microsatellite in the 5' region of the prairie vole vasopressin 1a receptor (avpr1a) gene modify gene expression in vitro. in vivo, we observe that this regulatory polymorphism predicts both individual differences in receptor distribution patterns and socio-behavioral traits. these data suggest that individual ... | 2005 | 15947188 |
| glucocorticoid receptor involvement in pair bonding in female prairie voles: the effects of acute blockade and interactions with central dopamine reward systems. | induction of partner preferences in monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) was used to examine the possibility that blockade of glucocorticoid receptors may be rewarding in females of this species. we first examined the ability of either a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (spironolactone) or a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (ru-486) to induce partner preferences in females. peripheral administration of either of the antagonists was capable of inducing partner preferences, altho ... | 2005 | 15961248 |
| estrogen regulation of cell proliferation and distribution of estrogen receptor-alpha in the brains of adult female prairie and meadow voles. | adult female prairie (microtus ochrogaster) and meadow (m. pennsylvanicus) voles were compared to examine neural cell proliferation and the effects of estrogen manipulation on cell proliferation in the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus (vmh), and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (dg). unlike prior studies, our study focused on the amygdala and vmh, because they are involved in social behaviors and may underlie behavioral differences between the species. meadow voles had a higher density of cel ... | 2005 | 15984004 |
| association of vasopressin 1a receptor levels with a regulatory microsatellite and behavior. | vasopressin regulates complex behaviors such as anxiety, parenting, social engagement and attachment and aggression in a species-specific manner. the capacity of vasopressin to modulate these behaviors is thought to depend on the species-specific distribution patterns of vasopressin 1a receptors (v1ars) in the brain. there is considerable individual variation in the pattern of v1ar binding in the brains of the prairie vole species, microtus ochrogaster. we hypothesize that this individual variab ... | 2005 | 16011575 |
| developmental effects of oxytocin on neural activation and neuropeptide release in response to social stimuli. | previous studies have revealed that the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin (ot) has developmental effects on subsequent social behavior and on mechanisms underlying social behavior such as ot neurons and estrogen receptor alpha. this suggests that ot might also have developmental effects on neural responses to social stimuli. this was tested in socially monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) by manipulating ot on the first day of life and then assessing the response to a heterosexual pairing ... | 2006 | 16112115 |
| species differences in anxiety-related responses in male prairie and meadow voles: the effects of social isolation. | prairie (microtus ochrogaster) and meadow voles (m. pennsylvanicus) are closely related species that differ in life strategy and social behaviors, and thus provide an excellent comparative model for the study of neuronal and hormonal mechanisms underlying behavior. in the present study using the elevated plus maze (epm) test, we found that male prairie voles entered the open arms of the epm more and remained there longer, and showed a higher level of overall locomotor activity than did male mead ... | 2005 | 16115657 |
| variability in "spontaneous" maternal behavior is associated with anxiety-like behavior and affiliation in naïve juvenile and adult female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | juvenile female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are spontaneously maternal, while virgin adult females show significant variability in their response to first pup exposure, ranging from infanticidal to full maternal behavior. in the present study, we investigated whether differences in anxiety-like behavior and affiliation are associated with juvenile-adult and adult individual differences in the response to pups. forty juvenile (19-20 days) and 42 adult (60-90 days) female prairie voles we ... | 2005 | 16136562 |
| ventral tegmental area involvement in pair bonding in male prairie voles. | dopamine is known to play a critical role in social attachment in monogamous voles. however, little is known about the neurochemical regulation of central dopamine release during pair bond formation. here we examine the effects on partner preference formation in male prairie voles of neurochemical manipulations in the ventral tegmental area (vta), a major source of dopamine to brain regions implicated in pair bonding. administration of nbqx, an ampa receptor antagonist, or bicuculline, a gaba re ... | 2005 | 16165168 |
| neonatal manipulation of oxytocin affects expression of estrogen receptor alpha. | in adult females many of the effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin are steroid, and especially estrogen dependent. here we demonstrate for the first time that neonatal manipulation of oxytocin can affect the expression of estrogen receptor alpha. on the first day of postnatal life male and female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) were randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments; (a) 50 microl i.p. injection of 3 microg oxytocin (approximately 1 microg/g), (b) 0.3 microg of an oxytocin ... | 2006 | 16257490 |
| nucleus accumbens dopamine differentially mediates the formation and maintenance of monogamous pair bonds. | the involvement of dopamine within the nucleus accumbens in the formation and maintenance of pair bonds was assessed in a series of experiments using the monogamous prairie vole. we show that dopamine transmission that promotes pair bond formation occurs within the rostral shell of the nucleus accumbens, but not in its core or caudal shell. within this specific brain region, d1- and d2-like receptor activation produced opposite effects: d1-like activation prevented pair bond formation, whereas d ... | 2006 | 16327783 |
| tyrosine hydroxylase-synthesizing cells in the hypothalamus of prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster): sex differences in the anteroventral periventricular preoptic area and effects of adult gonadectomy or neonatal gonadal hormones. | the vertebrate hypothalamus and surrounding region contain a large population of cells expressing tyrosine hydroxylase (th), the rate limiting enzyme for synthesis of dopamine and other catecholamines. some of these populations are sexually dimorphic in rats. we here examined sex differences in th-immunoreactive populations in the forebrain of gonadally intact and gonadectomized prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), a species that sometimes shows unusual sexual differentiation of brain and behav ... | 2006 | 16329116 |
| effects of stress on parental care are sexually dimorphic in prairie voles. | the effects of stress on parental care are poorly understood, especially in biparental species where males also display care. data from previous studies in prairie voles, as well as parallels with pair-bonding behavior, suggest the hypothesis that a stressful experience might facilitate parental care in males but not in females. in the present study, male and female prairie voles were exposed to either a 3-min swim stressor or no stressor; 45 min later each animal was tested in a parental care p ... | 2006 | 16360186 |
| species and individual differences in juvenile female alloparental care are associated with oxytocin receptor density in the striatum and the lateral septum. | the neuropeptide oxytocin has been implicated in the regulation of affiliative behavior and maternal responsiveness in several mammalian species. rodent species vary considerably in the expression of juvenile alloparental behavior. for example, alloparental behavior is spontaneous in juvenile female prairie voles (approximately 20 days of age), takes 1-3 days of pup exposure to develop in juvenile rats, and is nearly absent in juvenile mice and meadow voles. here, we tested the hypothesis that s ... | 2006 | 16442534 |
| vasopressin and pair-bond formation: genes to brain to behavior. | microtine rodents provide an excellent model for the study of the neurobiology of social bonds. in this review, we discuss how the presence of a microsatellite sequence in the prairie vole vasopressin receptor gene may determine vasopressin receptor binding patterns in the brain and how these patterns may in turn affect social behavior. | 2006 | 16565480 |
| thyroid function and reproductive success in rodents exposed to perchlorate via food and water. | the purpose of the present study was to determine if exposure to perchlorate via food items would have effects on mammals similar to those caused by exposure through drinking water at approximately equivalent doses. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) and deer mice (peromyscus maniculatus) were used to assess the potential toxicity of perchlorate-contaminated food items. voles and mice were divided randomly into three treatment groups--perchlorate-contaminated food (pcf), perchlorate-contaminat ... | 2006 | 16629144 |
| oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens facilitate "spontaneous" maternal behavior in adult female prairie voles. | oxytocin and the nucleus accumbens have been extensively implicated in the regulation of maternal behavior, and the processing of pup-related stimuli relevant for this behavior. oxytocin receptor density in the nucleus accumbens is highly variable in virgin female prairie voles, as is their behavioral response to pups, ranging from neglecting and infanticidal to full maternal behavior. we hypothesized that oxytocin receptor in the nucleus accumbens facilitates the expression of "spontaneous" mat ... | 2006 | 16725274 |
| distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin 1 in the vole brain. | brain receptor patterns for the corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) receptors, crf1 and crf2, are dramatically different between monogamous and promiscuous vole species, and crf physiologically regulates pair bonding behavior in the monogamous prairie vole. however, it is uncertain whether species differences also exist in the neuroanatomical distribution of the endogenous ligands for the crf1 and crf2 receptors, such as crf and urocortin-1 (ucn1). we compared the expression of crf and ucn1 in ... | 2006 | 16816534 |
| bioavailability of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (rdx) to the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). | concerns have been raised over potential bioavailability and biotransfer of energetic materials such as hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (rdx). the present study assessed plant-incorporated [14c]rdx and plant-derived [14c]rdx-metabolite ingestion by the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster). the animals were fed labeled chow (maximum, < or =10 g/d) for 5 or 7 d, followed by a 6- or 4-d chase period. more than 95% of all label presented was recovered in the summed excreta, with 74% of this i ... | 2006 | 16833151 |
| parental regulation of central patterns of estrogen receptor alpha. | reduced levels of estrogen receptor alpha (eralpha) in the medial amygdala (mea) and bed nucleus of stria terminalis (bst) have been hypothesized to play a significant role in the expression of male behaviors associated with monogamy. therefore, the regulation of eralpha could be a critical factor in determining male behavior and the evolution of monogamy. central expression of eralpha immunoreactivity was compared in hybrid offspring from crosses between two phenotypically distinct populations ... | 2006 | 16876954 |
| social environment regulates corticotropin releasing factor, corticosterone and vasopressin in juvenile prairie voles. | stressful social conditions, such as isolation, that occur during sensitive developmental periods may alter present and future social behavior. changes in the neuroendocrine mechanisms closely associated with affiliative behaviors and stress reactivity are likely to underlie these changes in behavior. in the present study, we assessed the effects of post-weaning social housing conditions on the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (avp) and oxytocin (ot), and components of the hypothalamic-pituita ... | 2007 | 17007856 |
| neonatal oxytocin manipulations have long-lasting, sexually dimorphic effects on vasopressin receptors. | developmental exposure to oxytocin (ot) or oxytocin antagonists (otas) has been shown to cause long-lasting and often sexually dimorphic effects on social behaviors in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). because regulation of social behavior in monogamous mammals involves central receptors for ot, arginine vasopressin (avp), and dopamine, we examined the hypothesis that the long-lasting, developmental effects of exposure to neonatal ot or ota might reflect changes in the expression of receptor ... | 2007 | 17055176 |
| sex and species differences in tyrosine hydroxylase-synthesizing cells of the rodent olfactory extended amygdala. | the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (bst) and the medial amygdala (mea) are anatomically connected sites necessary for chemosensory regulation of social behaviors in rodents. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are a valuable model for studying the neural regulation of social behaviors because, unlike many other rodents, they are gregarious, pair bond after copulating, and are biparental. we herein describe sex and species differences in immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase (th), the r ... | 2007 | 17099901 |
| cardiac regulation in the socially monogamous prairie vole. | social experiences, both positive and negative, may influence cardiovascular regulation. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous rodents that form social bonds similar to those seen in primates, and this species may provide a useful model for investigating neural and social regulation of cardiac function. cardiac regulation has not been studied previously in the prairie vole. radiotelemetry transmitters were implanted into adult female prairie voles under anesthesia, and ele ... | 2007 | 17107695 |
| oxytocin selectively increases eralpha mrna in the neonatal hypothalamus and hippocampus of female prairie voles. | during neonatal development exogenous oxytocin increases eralpha immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus of female prairie voles. the purpose of this study was to determine if the increase in eralpha is associated with an increase in eralpha mrna expression and to determine if the effect is specific to er subtype or if oxytocin also influences erbeta mrna expression. on the day of birth female prairie vole pups were treated with oxytocin, an oxytocin antagonist, or saline. brains were collected and ... | 2007 | 17107710 |
| oxytocin, vasopressin and pair bonding: implications for autism. | understanding the neurobiological substrates regulating normal social behaviours may provide valuable insights in human behaviour, including developmental disorders such as autism that are characterized by pervasive deficits in social behaviour. here, we review the literature which suggests that the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin play critical roles in modulating social behaviours, with a focus on their role in the regulation of social bonding in monogamous rodents. oxytocin and vasopres ... | 2006 | 17118932 |
| role of pregnancy and parturition in induction of maternal behavior in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), most virgin females are infanticidal. to determine the onset of maternal responsiveness, female prairie voles were tested for maternal behavior as virgins and at different times throughout pregnancy. female voles that were infanticidal as virgins by and large remained infanticidal throughout pregnancy. in contrast, about 30% of voles that were maternal as virgins became infanticidal during pregnancy. to test whether events associated with parturition faci ... | 2007 | 17174957 |
| cadmium accumulation in deer tongue grass (panicum clandestinum l.) and potential for trophic transfer to microtine rodents. | site 36 at the crab orchard national wildlife refuge includes a cd-contaminated soil dominated by deer tongue grass (panicum clandestinum l.). analysis of deer tongue grass from this site indicated that biomass and leaf surface area were reduced and that there was a linear relationship between both plant bioavailable soil cd and total soil zn and tissue cd concentration. the cd concentrations in stems and leaves were also used to estimate the dietary cd exposures that might be experienced by pra ... | 2007 | 17258848 |
| depression-like behavior and stressor-induced neuroendocrine activation in female prairie voles exposed to chronic social isolation. | to assess whether the responses of prairie voles to social stressors play a mechanistic role in the behavioral and physiological changes associated with affective disorders such as depression, as suggested in previous studies. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous rodents that share features of social behavior with humans; therefore, they may serve as useful models for examining social behavioral regulations and physiological responses related to depression. in this study, ... | 2016 | 17289829 |
| crf receptors in the nucleus accumbens modulate partner preference in prairie voles. | recent evidence suggests a role for corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) in the regulation of pair bonding in prairie voles. we have previously shown that monogamous and non-monogamous vole species have dramatically different distributions of crf receptor type 1 (crf(1)) and crf receptor type 2 (crf(2)) in the brain and that crf(1) and crf(2) receptor densities in the nucleus accumbens (nacc) are correlated with social organization. monogamous prairie and pine voles have significantly lower leve ... | 2007 | 17320879 |
| mercury and methylmercury accumulation and excretion in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) receiving chronic doses of methylmercury. | methylmercury cation (mehg) and divalent mercury (hg++) accumulation in liver, kidney, and brain were quantified in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) at 0, 3, 6, and 12 weeks during chronic exposure to aqueous mehg. dose groups received deionized water or aqueous solutions containing 9, 103, or 920 ng mehg/ml. our study presents temporal patterns of hg++ and mehg concentrations in organ tissues and makes inter-tissue comparisons at each time point to illustrate the accumulation and distributi ... | 2007 | 17364240 |
| organization of sensory neocortex in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). | in the current investigation, the functional organization of visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortex was examined in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) by using electrophysiological recording techniques. functional boundaries of cortical fields were directly related to myeloarchitectonic boundaries. our results demonstrated that most of the neocortex is occupied by the visual, auditory, and somatosensory areas. specifically, a small area 17, or primary visual area (v1), was located on the c ... | 2007 | 17366609 |
| amphetamine reward in the monogamous prairie vole. | recent studies have shown that the neural regulation of pair bonding in the monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) is similar to that of drug seeking in more traditional laboratory rodents. therefore, strong interactions between social behavior and drug reward can be expected. here, we established the prairie vole as a model for drug studies by demonstrating robust amphetamine-induced conditioned place preferences in this species. for both males and females, the effects of amphetamine we ... | 2007 | 17400384 |
| vole disturbances and plant diversity in a grassland metacommunity. | we studied the disturbance associated with prairie vole burrows and its effects on grassland plant diversity at the patch (1 m(2)) and metacommunity (>5 ha) scales. we expected vole burrows to increase patch-scale plant species diversity by locally reducing competition for resources or creating niche opportunities that increase the presence of fugitive species. at the metacommunity scale, we expected burrows to increase resource heterogeneity and have a community composition distinct from the ma ... | 2007 | 17440750 |
| anterior hypothalamic neural activation and neurochemical associations with aggression in pair-bonded male prairie voles. | male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) display mating-induced pair bonding indicated by social affiliation with their female partners and aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics. in the present study, we characterized their aggression associated with pair bonding and examined the related neuronal activation and neurochemical architecture. males that were pair-bonded for 2 weeks displayed intense levels of aggression toward a female or male conspecific stranger but maintained a high level of ... | 2007 | 17444499 |
| early experience affects the traits of monogamy in a sexually dimorphic manner. | the goal of this study was to examine the effects of early life experiences on the subsequent expression of traits characteristic of social monogamy in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). during cage changes parents and their offspring were either transferred between cages in a cup (zero manipulation, man0) or with a gloved hand (one manipulation, man1). following weaning the offspring were tested for alloparental behavior. in adulthood they were tested for the capacity to form partner prefere ... | 2007 | 17455224 |
| paternal care in rodents: weakening support for hormonal regulation of the transition to behavioral fatherhood in rodent animal models of biparental care. | male rodents that are naturally paternal, like all females, must inhibit infanticide and activate direct parental behavior as they become parents. males, however, alter their behavior in the absence of parturition, postpartum ovulation and lactation, and therefore do not experience the hormone dynamics associated with such conditions. paternal males might nevertheless use the same hormones to activate pre-existing maternal behavior pathways in the brain. positive and inverse associations between ... | 2007 | 17482188 |
| anogenital distance predicts female choice and male potency in prairie voles. | anogenital distance (agd) in rodents is a useful indicator of masculinization or feminization due to prenatal hormonal effects. if such cues convey useful information about both 'maleness' and more importantly mate quality, then females may select males based on this cue or other cues related to it. we tested this hypothesis by asking if female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) preferred males with relatively longer agds and if agd correlated with fitness enhancing characteristics such as spe ... | 2007 | 17537467 |
| modulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone type 2 receptor and urocortin 1 and urocortin 2 mrna expression in the cardiovascular system of prairie voles following acute or chronic stress. | the purpose of this study was to compare the effects of an acute stressor (restraint) versus a chronic stressor (social isolation) on the expression of mrnas for corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type 2 (crh-r2) and urocortin 1 (ucn 1) and urocortin 2 (ucn 2) in the cardiovascular system of socially monogamous prairie voles of both sexes. acute restraint for 1 h was followed by a marked increase in plasma corticosterone, and when the animals were re-paired for 1 day, the increment of cort ... | 2007 | 17551267 |
| oxytocin has dose-dependent developmental effects on pair-bonding and alloparental care in female prairie voles. | the present study examines the developmental consequences of neonatal exposure to oxytocin on adult social behaviors in female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). female neonates were injected within 24 h of birth with isotonic saline or one of four dosages of oxytocin (ot). as adults, females were tested in an elevated plus-maze paradigm (a measure of anxiety and exploratory behavior), and for alloparental behavior and partner preferences. at 2 mg/kg ot, females took longer to approach pups, ... | 2007 | 17553502 |
| social isolation disrupts autonomic regulation of the heart and influences negative affective behaviors. | there is a documented association between affective disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety) and cardiovascular disease in humans. chronic social stressors may play a mechanistic role in the development of behavioral and cardiac dysregulation. the current study investigated behavioral, cardiac, and autonomic responses to a chronic social stressor in prairie voles, a rodent species that displays social behaviors similar to humans. | 2007 | 17658486 |
| amphetamine effects in microtine rodents: a comparative study using monogamous and promiscuous vole species. | we compared amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of vole species that exhibit differing mating systems to examine potential interactions between social organization and substance abuse. we found no species or regional differences in basal extracellular dopamine, however, monogamous voles had greater and longer-lasting increases in extracellular dopamine after amphetamine treatment than did promiscuous voles. we then examined whether amphetamine-induced increase in extrac ... | 2007 | 17706877 |
| microtus: a simple method of recording time spent in the nest. | a prairie vole, microtus ochrogaster, was tagged with a radioactive label, a survey meter was placed over its nest, and the presence or absence of the animal in the nest was recorded on tape. | 1963 | 17742879 |
| the organizational effects of oxytocin on the central expression of estrogen receptor alpha and oxytocin in adulthood. | previous studies have demonstrated that neonatal manipulation of oxytocin (ot) has effects on the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (er alpha) and the central production of oxytocin observed in juveniles (at weaning, 21 days of age). the goal of this study was to determine whether the effects of neonatal manipulation of ot last into adulthood, and if the effects differ from those observed during the early postnatal period. on the first day of life, prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) receiv ... | 2007 | 17825097 |