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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, ...200717553502
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 ...200717551267
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 ...200717537467
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 ...200717455224
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 ...200717444499
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 ...200717440750
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 ...200717400384
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 ...200717366609
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 ...200717007856
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 ...200717364240
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 ...200717482188
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 ...200717320879
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 ...200717099901
estrogen receptors in the medial amygdala inhibit the expression of male prosocial behavior.studies using estrogen receptor alpha (eralpha) knock-out mice indicate that eralpha masculinizes male behavior. recent studies of eralpha and male prosocial behavior have shown an inverse relationship between eralpha expression in regions of the brain that regulate social behavior, including the medial amygdala (mea), and the expression of male prosocial behavior. these studies have lead to the hypothesis that low levels of eralpha are necessary to "permit" the expression of high levels of male ...200818842899
density-dependent recruitment in grassland small mammals.1. density dependence has an important influence on the dynamics of many species of small mammals. to regulate population growth, density must affect negatively a vital rate (e.g. fecundity); however, little is known about which vital rates are most affected by density. 2. we used a long-term data set for five species of rodents from north-eastern kansas, usa to test for relationships between density and the proportion of pregnant females, per capita fecundity and recruitment. we estimated propo ...200818039321
the neurobiology of social attachment: a comparative approach to behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical studies.the formation and maintenance of social bonds in adulthood is an essential component of human health. however studies investigating the underlying neurobiology of such behaviors have been scarce. microtine rodents offer a unique comparative animal model to explore the neural processes responsible for pair bonding and its associated behaviors. studies using monogamous prairie voles and other related species have recently offered insight into the neuroanatomical, neurobiological, and neurochemical ...200818417423
brain oxytocin: a key regulator of emotional and social behaviours in both females and males.in addition to various reproductive stimuli, the neuropeptide oxytocin (oxt) is released both from the neurohypophysial terminal into the blood stream and within distinct brain regions in response to stressful or social stimuli. brain oxt receptor-mediated actions were shown to be significantly involved in the regulation of a variety of behaviours. here, complementary methodological approaches are discussed which were utilised to reveal, for example, anxiolytic and anti-stress effects of oxt, bo ...200818601710
urocortin ii increases spontaneous parental behavior in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).stress and anxiety play a role in many psychological processes including social behavior. the present study examines the effects of urocortin ii (ucn ii) on spontaneous parental behavior in adult prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). ucn ii was found to increase passive parental behavior in voles while not affecting any stress-related measures. delineating the mechanism of this change will aid in our understanding of the regulation of parenting.200817888526
female-directed aggression predicts paternal behavior, but female prairie voles prefer affiliative males to paternal males.in the socially monogamous prairie vole, microtus ochrogaster, male affiliation and parental care are influenced by the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin and expression of its receptor v1ar. if parental care and adult affiliation can be considered a behavioral syndrome, females might use male affiliative behavior as a cue to choose a good father. we investigated three questions: (1) do females prefer affiliative males; (2) do males that are affiliative with females demonstrate paternal behavior ...200817878716
social isolation in prairie voles induces behaviors relevant to negative affect: toward the development of a rodent model focused on co-occurring depression and anxiety.recent evidence suggests substantial overlap between mood and anxiety disorders, both in clinical presentation and associated features. a theoretical framework to account for this overlap focuses on negative affectivity, defined as the disposition to experience negative emotional states, including fear, sadness, and guilt. this model has been successful in explaining the co-occurrence of depressive and anxiety disorders in humans. as a next step, development of an animal model focused on both de ...200817935206
pup exposure elicits hippocampal cell proliferation in the prairie vole.the onset of parental behavior has profound and enduring effects on behavior and neurobiology across a variety of species. in some cases, mere exposure to a foster neonate (and a subsequent parental response) can have similar effects. in the present experiment, we exposed adult male and female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) to two foster pups for 20 min and quantified cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (dg), medial amygdala (mea) and cortical amygdala (cora). prairi ...200817913255
field tests of cis-regulatory variation at the prairie vole avpr1a locus: association with v1ar abundance but not sexual or social fidelity.the neuropeptide vasopressin and its receptor v1ar are broadly implicated in social behavior and play a central role in several key aspects of male mating tactics in voles. in the prairie vole, a microsatellite in the cis-regulatory region of the gene encoding v1ar (avpr1a) provides a potential genetic basis for individual variation in neural phenotype and behavior; recent studies found that allele length predicts v1ar expression and male social attachment in the laboratory. here, we explore the ...200818722379
in three brain regions central to maternal behaviour, neither male nor female phodopus dwarf hamsters show changes in oestrogen receptor alpha distribution with mating or parenthood.oestrogen receptor (er)alpha immunoreactivity in three brain regions relevant to maternal behaviour (medial preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial amygdala) was measured in two species of dwarf hamster that both mate during a postpartum oestrous but differ in expression of paternal behaviour. male and female phodopus campbelli and phodopus sungorus were sampled as sexually naive adults, following mating to satiety, and as new parents. in all brain regions, females expresse ...200819094078
oxytocin, vasopressin and sociality.the neurobiology of social behaviour is interwoven with autonomic, endocrine and other homoeostatic processes responsible for the adaptive functions of reproduction and survival. young mammals are dependent on their mothers for nourishment, and the interaction between the mother and infant may be a physiological and neuroendocrine prototype for mammalian sociality. although these adaptive functions of the mother-infant social behavioural dyad are obvious, adult social interactions, including soc ...200818655893
sex differences and effects of neonatal aromatase inhibition on masculine and feminine copulatory potentials in prairie voles.copulatory behaviors in most rodents are highly sexually dimorphic, even when circulating hormones are equated between the sexes. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are monomorphic in their display of some social behaviors, including partner preferences and parenting, but differences between the sexes in their masculine and feminine copulatory behavior potentials have not been studied in detail. furthermore, the role of neonatal aromatization of testosterone to estradiol on the development of ...200818378236
variation in neural v1ar predicts sexual fidelity and space use among male prairie voles in semi-natural settings.although prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are socially monogamous, males vary in both sexual and spatial fidelity. most males form pairbonds, cohabit with one female, and defend territories. wandering males, in contrast, have expansive home ranges that overlap many males and females. in the laboratory, pairing is regulated by arginine vasopressin and its predominant cns receptor, vasopressin 1a receptor (v1ar). we investigated individual differences in forebrain v1ar expression of male prair ...200818212120
social investigation in a memory task relates to natural variation in septal expression of oxytocin receptor and vasopressin receptor 1a in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).arginine vasopressin (avp) and oxytocin (ot) influence social behavior and cognitive processes and may explain some of the variance associated with individual differences in behavior. although great focus has been placed on the roles of these peptides in learning and memory, less attention has been given to the receptors to which they bind. the authors exposed male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) to novel females in a multitrial social recognition test to investigate whether individual diff ...200919824764
stress differentially modulates mrna expression for corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptors in hypothalamus, hippocampus and pituitary of prairie voles.this study compares the effect of an acute stressor (restraint for 1h) versus a chronic stressor (social isolation for 4 weeks) on the expression of mrnas for corticotropin-releasing hormone (crh), crh receptor type 1 (crh-r1) and type 2 (crh-r2) in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and pituitary of socially monogamous female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). animals were studied immediately following a stressor or as a function of repairing with a familiar sibling. despite elevated expression o ...200919185916
neuroendocrinology of social behavior.discovering the hormonal and neural mechanisms that promote affiliative social behavior is a high priority in behavioral neuroscience. although studies with standard laboratory rodents have afforded many important insights, exciting advances are also occurring through comparative research with nonstandard species that vary in sociality or form socially monogamous pair bonds, work that is often informed by an explicitly evolutionary perspective. research with prairie voles has examined the roles ...200919106448
the crf system mediates increased passive stress-coping behavior following the loss of a bonded partner in a monogamous rodent.social relationships significantly influence physiology and behavior, including the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, anxiety, and mental health. disruption of social bonds through separation or death often results in profound grieving, depression, and physical illness. as the monogamous prairie vole forms enduring, selective pair bonds with the mating partner, they provide an animal model to study the physiological consequences of pair bonding and, thus, the loss of the bonded partner. male p ...200918923404
sex steroids are necessary in the second postnatal week for the expression of male alloparental behavior in prairie voles (microtus ochragaster).sex steroids play a significant role in organizing male social behavior, which is associated with low levels of pro-social behavior and high levels of aggression. however, the role of steroids in organizing behavior in highly social males is unclear. the authors tested the hypothesis that low levels of sex steroids facilitate the expression of pro-social behavior in male prairie voles (microtus ochragaster), predicting that inhibition of testosterone and estradiol would reduce spontaneous-allopa ...200919824762
polymorphism at the avpr1a locus in male prairie voles correlated with genetic but not social monogamy in field populations.integrative studies of genetics, neurobiology and behaviour indicate that polymorphism in specific genes contributes to variation observed in some complex social behaviours. the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin plays an important role in the regulation of a variety of social behaviours, including social attachment of males to females, through its action on the vasopressin 1a receptor (v1ar). in socially monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), polymorphism in the length of microsatellit ...200919821904
the impact of early life family structure on adult social attachment, alloparental behavior, and the neuropeptide systems regulating affiliative behaviors in the monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster).early social attachments lie at the heart of emotional and social development in many mammals, including humans. in nature, monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) experience considerable natural variation in early social attachment opportunities due to differences in family structure [e.g., single-mothers (sm), solitary breeding pairs, and communal groups]. we exploited some of this natural variation in family structure to examine the influence of early social environment on the develop ...200919753327
costs of pair-bonding and paternal care in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).the direct costs of paternal care are relatively well documented in primates, however little research has explored these effects in monogamous rodents. the present study examines the long-term effects that pairing and parenting have on male prairie voles. we hypothesized that there would be a significant weight loss over the course of pairing and parenting, presumably from the energetic demands that accompany these changes in social condition. in a longitudinal study, we followed ten male prairi ...200919576236
sexual dimorphism and hormone responsiveness in the spinal cord of the socially monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster).prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are exceptional among rodents in that many aspects of their brain and behavior are not masculinized by exogenous aromatizable androgens. however, the sexually differentiated endpoints studied to date rely on estrogenic mechanisms in other mammals. we examined whether sexual differentiation of an androgen receptor-dependent sex difference would be similarly distinct in prairie voles. male mammals have more and larger motoneurons projecting to perineal muscles ...200919575447
oxytocin protects against negative behavioral and autonomic consequences of long-term social isolation.positive social interactions and social support may protect against various forms of mental and physical illness, although the mechanisms for these effects are not well identified. the socially monogamous prairie vole, which--like humans--forms social bonds and displays high levels of parasympathetic activity, has provided a useful model for investigating neurobiological systems that mediate the consequences of sociality. in the present study, adult female prairie voles were exposed to social is ...200919553027
consequences of early experiences and exposure to oxytocin and vasopressin are sexually dimorphic.in the socially monogamous prairie vole, we have observed that small changes in early handling, as well as early hormonal manipulations can have long-lasting and sexually dimorphic effects on behavior. these changes may be mediated in part by changes in parental interactions with their young, acting on systems that rely on oxytocin (ot) and arginine vasopressin (avp). knowledge of both endogenous and exogenous influences on systems that rely on ot and avp may be helpful in understanding sexually ...200919546570
social environment alters central distribution of estrogen receptor alpha in juvenile prairie voles.it is well established that social environment, particularly isolation, has a significant impact on social behaviors and neuroendocrine responses. estrogen receptor alpha (eralpha) expression in limbic structures and associated nuclei is related to the display of social behaviors. we hypothesized that the stress of isolation would cause changes in the pattern of eralpha expression in the brain. using a highly social (typically monogamous and biparental) rodent species, the prairie vole (microtus ...200919539635
social contact elicits immediate-early gene expression in dopaminergic cells of the male prairie vole extended olfactory amygdala.male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are a valuable model in which to study the neurobiology of sociality because, unlike most mammals, they pair bond after mating and display paternal behaviors. research on the regulation of these social behaviors has highlighted dopamine (da) neurotransmission in both pair bonding and parenting. we recently described large numbers of dopaminergic cells in the male prairie vole principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pbst) and postero ...200919524021
social isolation modulates corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptor, urocortin 1 and urocortin 2 mrnas expression in the cardiovascular system of prairie voles.the purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of social isolation stress on the expression of messengers ribonucleic acid (mrnas) for corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 2 (crf2 receptor), urocortin 1 (ucn 1) and urocortin 2 (ucn 2) in the cardiovascular system of female and male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). isolation for 1 h (single isolation) or 1 h of isolation every day for 4 weeks (repeated isolation) was followed by a marked increase in plasma corticosterone ...200919452635
post-weaning social isolation alters anxiety-related behavior and neurochemical gene expression in the brain of male prairie voles.stressful social experiences early in life, such as maternal separation and social isolation, have enduring effects on the development of the brain and behavior. in the present study in socially monogamous male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), we found that following 6 weeks of social isolation after weaning males spent more time in the closed arms and less time in the open arms during an elevated plus maze (epm) test, moved more frequently from central to peripheral squares in an open fiel ...200919429056
anterior hypothalamic vasopressin regulates pair-bonding and drug-induced aggression in a monogamous rodent.after pair-bonding, male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) display aggression toward novel females but not toward their female partner. here we show that this selective aggression in pair-bonded male prairie voles is associated with increased release of vasopressin (avp) in the anterior hypothalamus (ah). pharmacological activation of avp-v1a receptors (v1ar) in the ah induced selective aggression in sexually naive males, whereas v1ar blockade diminished selective aggression in pair-bonded ma ...200919858480
variation in oxytocin receptor density in the nucleus accumbens has differential effects on affiliative behaviors in monogamous and polygamous voles.oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens have been implicated in the regulation of alloparental behavior and pair bond formation in the socially monogamous prairie vole. oxytocin receptor density in the nucleus accumbens is positively correlated with alloparenting in juvenile and adult female prairie voles, and oxytocin receptor antagonist infused into the nucleus accumbens blocks this behavior. furthermore, prairie voles have higher densities of oxytocin receptors in the accumbens than nonmo ...200919193878
dopamine regulation of social choice in a monogamous rodent species.there is growing appreciation that social decision making in humans is strongly influenced by hedonic and emotional processing. the field of social neuroeconomics has shown that neural systems important for reward are associated with social choice and social preferences in humans. here, we show that the neurobiology of social preferences in a monogamous rodent species, the prairie vole, is also regulated by neural systems involved in reward and emotional processing. specifically, we describe how ...200919707518
three mutations and the karyotype of the prairie vole. white spotting, polydipsia, and muscular dystrophy in microtus ochrogaster. 20094436536
further evidence for the role of nitric oxide in maternal aggression: effects of l-name on maternal aggression towards female intruders in wistar rats.it has been shown that nitric oxide (no) increases aggression in male mice, whereas it decreases aggression in lactating female mice and prairie voles. it is also known that aggression can be exhibited at different levels in rodent species, strain or subtypes. the aims of this study were to investigate the proportion of aggressiveness in wistar rats, the effect of intraperitoneally administered nonspecific nitric oxide synthase (nos) inhibitor l-name (ng-nitro l-arginine methyl ester) on materna ...200918657004
mechanisms underlying altered mood and cardiovascular dysfunction: the value of neurobiological and behavioral research with animal models.a bidirectional association between mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases has been described in humans, yet the precise neurobiological mechanisms that underlie this association are not fully understood. this article is focused on neurobiological processes and mediators in mood and cardiovascular disorders, with an emphasis on common mechanisms including stressor reactivity, neuroendocrine and neurohumoral changes, immune alterations, autonomic and cardiovascular dysregulation, and central ...200918703084
individual discrimination by odors in sibling prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).the habituation-discrimination paradigm has been used widely to demonstrate that animals can detect individually distinctive odors of unfamiliar conspecifics. by using a modification of the habituation-discrimination technique, todrank et al. (anim behav 55:377-386, 1998) found that golden hamsters discriminate between the individual odors of their own familiar brothers but cannot discriminate between the odors of two siblings that are unrelated and unfamiliar to the subject. this suggested that ...200919373513
oxytocin and the neural mechanisms regulating social cognition and affiliative behavior.oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus and released into the circulation through the neurohypophyseal system. peripherally released oxytocin facilitates parturition and milk ejection during nursing. centrally released oxytocin coordinates the onset of maternal nurturing behavior at parturition and plays a role in mother-infant bonding. more recent studies have revealed a more general role for oxytocin in modulating affiliative behavior in both sexes. oxytocin regulates alloparental care and pa ...200919481567
characterization of the oxytocin system regulating affiliative behavior in female prairie voles.oxytocin regulates partner preference formation and alloparental behavior in the socially monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) by activating oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens of females. mating facilitates partner preference formation, and oxytocin-immunoreactive fibers in the nucleus accumbens have been described in prairie voles. however, there has been no direct evidence of oxytocin release in the nucleus accumbens during sociosexual interactions, and the origin of the oxy ...200919482070
evaluation of two automated metrics for analyzing partner preference tests.the partner preference test (ppt) is commonly used to examine sexual and social preferences in rodents. the test offers experimental subjects a choice between two stimulus animals, and time spent with each is used to calculate a preference score. in monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), the ppt has been paramount to the study of pair bonding. although powerful, use of the ppt in voles has depended primarily on human manual scoring. manual scoring is time-consuming and is susceptible t ...200919539647
hormonal correlates of sexual behavior and ovulation in male-induced and postpartum estrus in female prairie voles.the purpose of the present study was a description of hormonal profiles in female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) in estrus that was induced by male exposure versus postpartum estrus. hormonal profiles are reported in sexually naive females and in sexually experienced females, as a function of varying amounts of coital stimulation and as a function of time since male exposure. ovarian estradiol levels, uterine weights and uterine protein levels increased in virgin females after exposure to ...20092699360
production of germline transgenic prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) using lentiviral vectors.the study of alternative model organisms has yielded tremendous insights into the regulation of behavioral and physiological traits not displayed by more widely used animal models, such as laboratory rats and mice. in particular, comparative approaches often exploit species ideally suited for investigating specific phenomenon. for instance, comparative studies of socially monogamous prairie voles and polygamous meadow voles have been instrumental toward gaining an understanding of the genetic an ...200919641177
neonatal oxytocin alters subsequent estrogen receptor alpha protein expression and estrogen sensitivity in the female rat.in most species, the effects of oxytocin (ot) on female reproductive behavior are dependent upon estrogen, which increases both ot and ot receptor expression. it is also becoming apparent that ot neurotransmission can influence estrogen signaling, especially during development, as neonatal ot manipulations in prairie voles alter eralpha expression and estrogen-dependent behaviors. we tested the hypothesis that ot developmentally programs eralpha expression and estrogen sensitivity in female spra ...200919703497
daylength influences pelage and plasma prolactin concentrations but not reproduction in the prairie vole, microtus ochrogaster.short daylengths did not affect testes weight or spermatogenic index in male voles or uterine weight in female voles. short daylengths did stimulate the growth of a winter pelage in both sexes; short-day voles had longer underhairs and guard hairs and a thicker, more dense pelage than did long-day voles. plasma prolactin concentrations were five times higher in long-day than in short-day females and 25% higher in long-day males than in short-day males. the effect of short daylength on pelage was ...20103294399
biological contribution to social influences on alcohol drinking: evidence from animal models.social factors have a tremendous influence on instances of heavy drinking and in turn impact public health. however, it is extremely difficult to assess whether this influence is only a cultural phenomenon or has biological underpinnings. research in non-human primates demonstrates that the way individuals are brought up during early development affects their future predisposition for heavy drinking, and research in rats demonstrates that social isolation, crowding or low social ranking can lead ...201020616986
beating the boojum: comparative approaches to the neurobiology of social behavior.neuropeptides coordinate complex social behaviors important to both basic and applied science. understanding such phenomena requires supplementing the powerful tools of behavioral neuroscience with less conventional model species and more rigorous evolutionary analyses. we review studies that use comparative methods to examine the roles of vasopressin and oxytocin in mammalian social behavior. we find that oxytocin and vasopressin receptor distributions are remarkably variable within species. st ...201019591851
monogamy evolves through multiple mechanisms: evidence from v1ar in deer mice.genetic variation in avpr1a, the locus encoding the arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (v1ar), has been implicated in pair-bonding behavior in voles (genus microtus) and humans, raising the possibility that this gene may contribute commonly to mating-system variation in mammals. in voles, differential expression of v1ar in the brain is associated with male partner-preference behavior in a comparison of a monogamous (microtus ochrogaster) and promiscuous (microtus montanus) species. this expression ...201020097658
parental division of labor, coordination, and the effects of family structure on parenting in monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).family relationships help shape species-typical social and emotional development, but our understanding of how this shaping occurs is still relatively limited. prairie voles are a socially monogamous and biparental species that is well situated to complement traditional animal models, such as rats and mice, in investigating the effects of family experience. in this series of studies, we aimed to test hypotheses relating to how prairie vole families function under undisturbed, standard laboratory ...201020945408
response of two prairie forbs to repeated vole herbivory.vertebrate herbivores as diverse as ungulates, geese, and rabbits preferentially feed on plants that have previously experienced herbivory. here, we ask whether smaller grassland "cryptic consumers" such as voles (microtus ochrogaster and m. pennsylvanicus) preferentially clip (cut stems for access to leaves or seeds) or avoid previously clipped individuals of two tallgrass prairie species (desmanthus illinoensis and echinacea purpurea) within a growing season. further, we ask how these plants r ...201021053022
development of genomic resources for the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster): construction of a bac library and vole-mouse comparative cytogenetic map.the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) is a premier animal model for understanding the genetic and neurological basis of social behaviors. unlike other biomedical models, prairie voles display a rich repertoire of social behaviors including the formation of long-term pair bonds and biparental care. however, due to a lack of genomic resources for this species, studies have been limited to a handful of candidate genes. to provide a substrate for future development of genomic resources for this un ...201020109198
distribution of catecholaminergic and peptidergic cells in the gerbil medial amygdala, caudal preoptic area and caudal bed nuclei of the stria terminalis with a focus on areas activated at ejaculation.the posterodorsal preoptic nucleus (pdpn), lateral part of the posterodorsal medial amygdala (meapd) and medial part of the medial preoptic nucleus (mpnm) are activated at ejaculation in male gerbils as assessed by fos expression. we sought to immunocytochemically visualize substance p (sp), cholecystokinin (cck), oxytocin, vasopressin and tyrosine hydroxylase (th), a catecholaminergic marker, in the mating-activated cells, but the need for colchicine precluded behavioral testing. instead, we de ...201021087661
cardiac dysfunction and hypothalamic activation during a social crowding stressor in prairie voles.negative social interactions produce several detrimental consequences in humans and non-human animals; and conversely, positive social interactions may have stress-buffering effects on both behavior and physiology. however, the mechanisms underlying specific stressor-responsiveness in the context of the social environment are not well understood. the present study investigated the integration of behavior, cardiac function, and fos-immunoreactivity in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus duri ...201020347401
connections of auditory and visual cortex in the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster): evidence for multisensory processing in primary sensory areas.in prairie voles, primary sensory areas are dominated by neurons that respond to one sensory modality, but some neurons also respond to stimulation of other modalities. to reveal the anatomical substrate for these multimodal responses, we examined the connections of the primary auditory area + the anterior auditory field (a1 + aaf), the temporal anterior area (ta), and the primary visual area (v1). a1 + aaf had intrinsic connections and connections with ta, multimodal cortex (mm), v1, and primar ...201019395525
androgenic and oestrogenic influences on tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells of the prairie vole medial amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.the posterodorsal medial amygdala (meapd) and principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pbst) are densely interconnected sites integrating steroid hormone and olfactory information necessary for sociosexual behaviours in many rodents. our laboratory recently reported sexually dimorphic populations of cells containing tyrosine hydroxylase (th) located in the meapd and pbst of prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), with males having many more th-immunoreactive (-ir) cells in the ...201020136687
estrogen receptor-alpha in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis regulates social affiliation in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).estrogen receptor alpha (eralpha) typically masculinizes male behavior, while low levels of eralpha in the medial amygdala (mea) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (bst) are associated with high levels of male prosocial behavior. in the males of the highly social prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster), increasing eralpha in the mea inhibited the expression of spontaneous alloparental behavior and produced a preference for novel females. to test for the effects of increased eralpha in the b ...201020111713
does fertility trump monogamy?monogamous animals face an interesting dilemma: if and when to terminate a nonproductive relationship. to address this issue, we asked whether reproductive compatibility is a criterion for maintaining a monogamous pair-bond between mates. prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), are small rodents that form long-term, monogamous pair-bonds evidenced by a strong preference for their familiar partners, and thus are an excellent model animal in which to study mate-fidelity. accordingly, we examined par ...201020823948
stability and potential inheritance of infanticidal behavior in prairie voles.naïve female prairie voles show significant variability in their behavioral response to newborns. we investigated whether that behavioral response (a) was related to the quality of postpartum maternal behavior; (b) was affected by postpartum maternal experience; and (c) could be selectively bred. the behavior of females was recorded in three conditions: as naïve in a nonreproductive context, as single lactating (no male present), and as experienced mother in a nonreproductive context. finally, f ...201020607791
oxytocin and same-sex social behavior in female meadow voles.the neuropeptide oxytocin (ot) has been implicated in a range of mammalian reproductive and social behaviors including parent-offspring bonding and partner preference formation between socially monogamous mates. its role in mediating non-reproductive social relationships in rodents, however, remains largely unexplored. we examined whether ot facilitates same-sex social preferences between female meadow voles-a species that forms social nesting groups in short, winter-like day lengths. in contras ...201020580660
intergenerational transmission of the behavioral consequences of early experience in prairie voles.we examined intergenerational and epigenetic effects of early handling manipulations on the social behavior of the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster), a monogamous rodent. laboratory-born parents and their newborn pups were assigned to either a man0 "zero handling" manipulation (transfer with a cup during weekly cage changes) or a man1 "gloved handling" manipulation (transfer with a gloved hand). previous studies from our laboratory (bales et al., 2007) showed that man0 juvenile males that rece ...201020457234
autonomic predictors of recovery following surgery: a comparative study.although heart rate and temperature are continuously monitored in patients during recovery following surgery, measures that extract direct manifestations of neural regulation of autonomic circuits from the beat-to-beat heart rate may be more sensitive to outcome. we explore the relationship between features of autonomic regulation and survival in the prairie vole, a small mammal, with features of vagal regulation of the heart similar to humans. cardiac vagal regulation is manifested in the beat- ...201020451468
female prairie vole mate-choice is affected by the males' birth litter composition.experimental testing and retrospective examination of breeding records were used to examine the influence of sex composition and/or size of males' birth litters on female mate-choice. sexually naïve female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) avoided males derived from all-male litters, but showed no preference for, or aversion to, males from single-male litters or from more typical mixed-sex litters. examination of the pregnancy status of females after two weeks of pairing with a male allowed u ...201020434472
chronic metals ingestion by prairie voles produces sex-specific deficits in social behavior: an animal model of autism.we examined the effects of chronic metals ingestion on social behavior in the normally highly social prairie vole to test the hypothesis that metals may interact with central dopamine systems to produce the social withdrawal characteristic of autism. relative to water-treated controls, 10 weeks of chronic ingestion of either hg(++) or cd(++) via drinking water significantly reduced social contact by male voles when they were given a choice between isolation or contact with an unfamiliar same-sex ...201020433873
social novelty increases tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the extended olfactory amygdala of female prairie voles.the monogamous social behaviors of prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) require olfactory inputs, which are processed by the posterodorsal medial amygdala (meapd) and principal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pbst). the male prairie vole meapd and pbst contain hundreds of cells densely immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (th-ir). female prairie voles have relatively few of these cells, but we previously found that the number of these th-ir cells is greatly increased in females by exogen ...201020381508
nucleus accumbens dopamine mediates amphetamine-induced impairment of social bonding in a monogamous rodent species.the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) is a socially monogamous rodent species that forms pair bonds after mating, a behavior in which central dopamine (da) has been implicated. here, we used male prairie voles to examine the effects of drug exposure on pair bonding and related neural circuitry. in our first experiment, amphetamine (amph) motivated behavior was examined using a conditioned place preference (cpp) paradigm and was shown to be mediated by activation of d1-like da receptors. next, ...201020080553
the prairie vole: an emerging model organism for understanding the social brain.unlike most mammalian species, the prairie vole is highly affiliative, forms enduring social bonds between mates and displays biparental behavior. over two decades of research on this species has enhanced our understanding of the neurobiological basis not only of monogamy, social attachment and nurturing behaviors but also other aspects of social cognition. because social cognitive deficits are hallmarks of many psychiatric disorders, discoveries made in prairie voles can direct novel treatment ...201020005580
d2 antagonist during development decreases anxiety and infanticidal behavior in adult female prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).on postnatal day 8, prairie vole pups were randomly assigned a treatment of 1mg/kg skf38393 (d1 agonist), quinpirole (d2 agonist), sch23390 (d1 antagonist), eticlopride (d2 antagonist), or saline vehicle. as adults, females treated with eticlopride exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior in an elevated plus maze and a reduction in infanticidal behavior. these behavioral effects were not seen in males. these data demonstrate that a single exposure to a d2 antagonist during development can have pe ...201020152865
central vasopressin v1a receptor activation is independently necessary for both partner preference formation and expression in socially monogamous male prairie voles.the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (avp) modulates a variety of species-specific social behaviors. in socially monogamous male prairie voles, avp acts centrally via vasopressin v1a receptor (v1ar) to facilitate mating induced partner preferences. the display of a partner preference requires at least 2 temporally distinct processes: social bond formation as well as its recall, or expression. studies to date have not determined in which of these processes v1ar acts to promote partner preference ...201020141291
alloparenting experience affects future parental behavior and reproductive success in prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the function of alloparental behavior in cooperatively breeding species. we examined whether alloparental experience as juveniles enhanced later parental care and reproductive success in the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster), a cooperatively breeding rodent. juveniles cared for one litter of siblings (1ex), two litters of siblings (2ex) or no siblings (0ex). as adults, these individuals were mated to other 0ex, 1ex or 2ex voles, yielding seven d ...201019732810
prairie voles as a novel model of socially facilitated excessive drinking.social relationships strongly affect alcohol drinking in humans. traditional laboratory rodents do not exhibit social affiliations with specific peers, and cannot adequately model how such relationships impact drinking. the prairie vole is a socially monogamous rodent used to study social bonds. the present study tested the prairie vole as a potential model for the effects of social affiliations on alcohol drinking. same-sex adult sibling prairie voles were paired for five days, and then either ...201120579002
neuroanatomical projections of the species-specific tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells of the male prairie vole bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial amygdala.the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (bstpr) and posterodorsal part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (meapd) are densely interconnected sites transmitting olfactory information to brain areas mediating sociosexual behaviors. in male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster), the bstpr and meapd contain hundreds of cells densely immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (th). such tremendous numbers of th-immunoreactive (th-ir) cells do not exist in other rodents examined, and ...201121546771
d-cycloserine facilitates socially reinforced learning in an animal model relevant to autism spectrum disorders.there are no drugs that specifically target the social deficits of autism spectrum disorders (asd). this may be due to a lack of behavioral paradigms in animal models relevant to asd. partner preference formation in the prairie vole represents a social cognitive process involving socially reinforced learning. d-cycloserine (dcs) is a cognitive enhancer that acts at the n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor to promote learning. if dcs enhances socially reinforced learning in the partner preference paradi ...201121481844
avpr1a length polymorphism is not associated with either social or genetic monogamy in free-living prairie voles.recent discoveries of single-gene influences on social behaviour have generated a great deal of interest in the proximate mechanisms underlying the expression of complex behaviours. length polymorphism in a microsatellite in the regulatory region of the gene encoding the vasopressin 1a receptor (avpr1a) has been associated with both inter- and intra-specific variation in socially monogamous behaviour in voles (genus microtus) under laboratory conditions. here, we evaluate the relationship betwee ...201121442019
increasing oxytocin receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens of pre-pubertal female prairie voles enhances alloparental responsiveness and partner preference formation as adults.oxytocin receptors (oxtr) in the nucleus accumbens (nacc) promote alloparental behavior and partner preference formation in female prairie voles. within the nacc there is significant individual variation in oxtr binding and virgin juvenile and adult females with a high density of oxtr in the nacc display an elevated propensity to engage in alloparental behavior toward novel pups. over-expression of oxtr in the nacc of adult female prairie voles using viral vector gene transfer facilitates partne ...201121851821
neonatal exposure to the d1 agonist skf38393 inhibits pair bonding in the adult prairie vole.the monogamous prairie vole displays developmental sensitivity to early pharmacological manipulation in a number of species-typical social behaviors. the long-term consequences of altering the neonatal dopamine system are not well characterized. this study examined whether early manipulation of the dopamine system, a known mediator of adult prairie vole social behavior, during neonatal development would affect adult aggressive and attachment behaviors. eight-day-old pups were given a single trea ...201121918384
chronic inorganic mercury exposure induces sex-specific changes in central tnfα expression: importance in autism?mercury is neurotoxic and increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposure to mercury may contribute to neuropathologies including alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorders. mercury is known to disrupt immunocompetence in the periphery, however, little is known about the effects of mercury on neuroimmune signaling. mercury-induced effects on central immune function are potentially very important given that mercury exposure and neuroinflammation both are implicated in certain neur ...201121906657
synergistic influences of phase, density, and climatic variation on the dynamics of fluctuating populations.although ecologists have long recognized that certain mammalian species exhibit high-amplitude, often multiannual, fluctuations in abundance, their causes have remained poorly understood and the subject of intense debate. a key contention has been the relative role of density-dependent and density-independent processes in governing population dynamics. we applied capture-mark-recapture analysis to 25 years of monthly trapping data from a fluctuating prairie vole microtus ochrogaster population i ...201121905434
mating increases male's interest in other females: a cognitive study in socially monogamous prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster).to determine whether socio-sexual interactions with females influence the male prairie vole's cognitive processing, three groups of males were simultaneously exposed to sensory stimuli of a control and a focal female then tested for their behavioral and neuronal responsiveness to the female cues. from the control female, all males received distal cues. from the focal female, the unmated males received distal cues, the unmated-contact males received all cues but did not mate with her, and the mat ...201121888956
cart peptide following social novelty in the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster).prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) are monogamous rodents that display high levels of affiliative behaviors, including pair-bonding, biparental care, and cooperative breeding. species differences in basal cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (cart) mrna and peptide expression have been found between prairie voles and polygamous meadow voles. therefore, we hypothesized that the cart system may play a role in the regulation of social behavior in this species. male and female adult prair ...201121871610
alcohol intake in prairie voles is influenced by the drinking level of a peer.peer interactions can have important effects on alcohol-drinking levels, in some cases increasing use, and in other cases preventing it. in a previous study, we have established the prairie vole as a model animal for the effects of social relationships on alcohol intake and have observed a correlation of alcohol intake between individual voles housed together as pairs. here, we investigated this correlated drinking behavior, hypothesizing that 1 animal alters its alcohol intake to match the drin ...201121575019
activation of μ-opioid receptors in the dorsal striatum is necessary for adult social attachment in monogamous prairie voles.despite significant evidence that opioids are involved in attachment by mediating social reward and motivation, the role of opioids in the formation of adult social attachments has not been explored. we used the socially monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) to explore the role of endogenous opioids in social bonding by examining partner preference formation in female prairie voles. we hypothesized that μ-opioid receptors (mors) in the striatum have a critical role in partner preference ...201121734650
the value of unusual animal models for alcohol research: a commentary on: anacker, loftis, and ryabinin, "alcohol intake in prairie voles is influenced by the drinking level of a peer".the recent study by anacker, loftis, and ryabinin used a novel animal model, the prairie vole, to investigate social effects on drinking. their finding that same-sex peers modulate their drinking to match each other has intriguing implications for the fields of alcohol research as well as research on social relationships.201121651584
social bonding decreases the rewarding properties of amphetamine through a dopamine d1 receptor-mediated mechanism.although the protective effects of social bonds on drug use/abuse have been well documented, we know little about the underlying neural mechanisms. using the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster)--a socially monogamous rodent that forms long-term pair bonds after mating--we demonstrate that amphetamine (amph) conditioning induced a conditioned place preference (cpp) in sexually naive (sn), but not pair-bonded (pb), males. although amph treatment induced a similar magnitude of dopamine release in t ...201121632917
24-hour autonomic dysfunction and depressive behaviors in an animal model of social isolation: implications for the study of depression and cardiovascular disease.to investigate the hypothesis that long-term social isolation in an animal model would produce depression-relevant behaviors and disruptions in the 24-hour autonomic and activity parameters, and to further demonstrate the utility and validity of an animal model for the study of social environment, behavior, and autonomic function. converging evidence from both experimental and epidemiological studies indicates that there is a bidirectional association between depression and cardiovascular diseas ...201121097661
effects of social isolation on mrna expression for corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptors in prairie voles.previous studies have demonstrated that various type of stressors modulate messenger ribonucleic acid (mrna) for type 1 corticotropin-releasing hormone (crh) receptor (crh-r1 mrna) and type 2 crh receptor (crh-r2 mrna). the purpose of this study was to explore the effect of social isolation stress of varying durations on the crh, crh-r1 and crh-r2 mrnas expression in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and pituitary of socially monogamous female and male prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster). isolation ...201121095063
amphetamine alters behavior and mesocorticolimbic dopamine receptor expression in the monogamous female prairie vole.we have recently established the socially monogamous prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) as an animal model with which to investigate the involvement of mesocorticolimbic dopamine (da) in the amphetamine (amph)-induced impairment of social behavior. as the majority of our work, to date, has focused on males, and sex differences are commonly reported in the behavioral and neurobiological responses to amph, the current study was designed to examine the behavioral and neurobiological effects of amp ...201120933511
oxytocin changes primate paternal tolerance to offspring in food transfer.oxytocin facilitates social recognition in rats and mice, onset of maternal behavior in virgin mice and formation of pair bonds without copulation in prairie voles. however, the relationship between this peptide and paternal behavior in primates remains largely unknown. we investigated whether oxytocin affects paternal behavior in common marmosets. in these primates, fathers as well as mothers take care of their infants, and transferring food to the infants is one of their more obvious caretakin ...201121225271
the neurobiology of pair bonding: insights from a socially monogamous rodent.the formation of enduring relationships between adult mates (i.e., pair bonds) is an integral aspect of human social behavior and has been implicated in both physical and psychological health. however, due to the inherent complexity of these bonds and the relative rarity with which they are formed in other mammalian species, we know surprisingly little about their underlying neurobiology. over the past few decades, the prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster) has emerged as an animal model of pair bo ...201120688099
are behavioral effects of early experience mediated by oxytocin?early experiences can alter adaptive emotional responses necessary for social behavior as well as physiological reactivity in the face of challenge. in the highly social prairie vole (microtus ochrogaster), manipulations in early life or hormonal treatments specifically targeted at the neuropeptides oxytocin (ot) and arginine vasopressin (avp), have long-lasting, often sexually dimorphic, consequences for social behavior. here we examine the hypothesis that behavioral changes associated with dif ...201121629841
alteration of the chronic wasting disease species barrier by in vitro prion amplification.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (tse) of cervids now detected in 19 states of the united states, three canadian provinces, and south korea. whether noncervid species can be infected by cwd and thereby serve as reservoirs for the infection is not known. to investigate this issue, we previously used serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (spmca) to demonstrate that cwd prions can amplify in brain homogenates from several species sympatric with cer ...201121697475
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