In order to investigate the neuroendocrine mechanism of the mating behavior in the adult male mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus,the radioimmunoassay(RIA)and immunohistochemistry methods were used to investigate the d...In order to investigate the neuroendocrine mechanism of the mating behavior in the adult male mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus,the radioimmunoassay(RIA)and immunohistochemistry methods were used to investigate the differences in plasma testosterone(T)concentrations and distribution of T immunoreactive neurons(T-IRs),androgen receptor immunoreactive neurons(AR-IRs)and Fos protein immunoreactive neurons(Fos-IRs)in the accessory olfactory bulb(AOB)and the main olfactory bulb(MOB)following exposure to clean hard-wood shavings(control group),soiled bedding(exposure group)or contact with an estrous female(mating group).Results showed that plasma T concentration was significantly higher in the mating group than that in the exposure group,and both the mating group and the exposure group displayed significantly higher plasma T concentration than the control group.T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs were investigated with the immunohistochemistry method in granule cell(GC)and mitral cell(MC)of the MOB and the AOB in the three groups.There were significantly more T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs in MC and GC of the AOB in the mating group than that in the exposure group or the control group.T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs did not show significant differences between the exposure group and the control group.Furthermore,obvious differences in MC and GC of the MOB were not found among the three groups.The results confirm that both changes of T and AR in the AOB might be underlying mating behavior in the adult male mandarin voles.展开更多
To gain insight into the function of AOB and MOB during different social interaction and in different vole species,the behaviors and neural activation of the olfactory bulbs in social interactions of mandarin voles Mi...To gain insight into the function of AOB and MOB during different social interaction and in different vole species,the behaviors and neural activation of the olfactory bulbs in social interactions of mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus and reed voles Microtus fortis were compared in the present research.Mandarin voles spent significantly more time attacking and sniffing their opponents and sniffing sawdust than reed voles.During same sex encounters,mandarin voles attacked their opponents for a significantly longer time and sniffed its opponent for shorter time compared with male-female interactions.However,no significant behavioral differences were found during encounters of two individual reed voles,regardless of gender composition of the pair.Using c-Fos as an indicator of neural activation,we observed that neural activation was significantly higher in almost all sub-regions of the main olfactory bulb(MOB)and the accessory olfactory bulb(AOB)of mandarin voles compared with reed voles.Numbers of c-Fos-ir neurons in almost all sub-regions of the AOB and the MOB during male-female interactions were also higher than those in interactions of the same sex.Anterior-posterior ratios of Fos-ir neurons in the AOBM(AOBMR)and the AOBG(AOBGR)in male-female interaction were significantly higher than those in interaction of the same sex.The AOBMR of male mandarin voles and reed voles were larger than those of females in male-female interactions.Behavioral patterns are consistent with cellular activity patterns.Consistent level of neural activation in MOB and AOB suggests important roles of both the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb in social interaction in two species.展开更多
Animals may experience early negative(mechanical pain:being retrieved using an incisor by parents or attacked)or positive stimulation(being licked and groomed)that may affect emotional and social behaviors in adulthoo...Animals may experience early negative(mechanical pain:being retrieved using an incisor by parents or attacked)or positive stimulation(being licked and groomed)that may affect emotional and social behaviors in adulthood.Whether positive tactile stimulation can reverse adverse consequences on emotional and social behaviors in adulthood resulting from chronic mechanical pain and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study used a tailpinching model during development to simulate mechanical pain experienced by pups in high-social mandarin voles(Microtus mandarinus).Subsequently,brush-like positive tactile stimuli were applied to the backs of the mandarin voles.Various behavioral tests were used to measure levels of anxiety,depression,and sociability.The results showed that early tail-pinching delayed the eye opening of pups,increased levels of anxiety,reduced levels of sociality in male mandarin voles,and impaired social cognition in females during adulthood.Brushing on the back reversed some of these effects.While mandarin voles that were exposed to tail-pinching during development were exposed to sub-threshold variable stress as adults,they were more likely to show a stress-induced increase of anxiety-like behavior,reduction of sociability,and impairment of social cognition,displaying heightened susceptibility to stress,particularly in males.However,back-brushing reversed some of these effects,implying that these adults display enhanced stress resilience.In addition,tail-pinching reduced levels of serum oxytocin and increased corticosterone levels in serum,but back-brushing reversed these effects.Overall,it was found that positive tactile stimulation reversed increases in anxiety and impairments of social behavior induced by negative stimulation in male mandarin voles via alteration of oxytocin and corticosterone levels.展开更多
Maternal behaviors and brains change dramatically with pregnancy,parturition and other mothering experiences.However,whether paternal behavior,brain plasticity and levels of relevant hormones also change along with fa...Maternal behaviors and brains change dramatically with pregnancy,parturition and other mothering experiences.However,whether paternal behavior,brain plasticity and levels of relevant hormones also change along with fathering experience and pups’age remains unclear.Using socially monogamous mandarin voles(Micro-tus mandarinus),we found that experienced fathers exhibited more active paternal behaviors,such as licking,retrievals and nest building,but less paternal care,such as huddling,than new fathers.The high levels of licking and nest building appeared in the earlier days of their mate’s lactation.Experienced fathers retrieved 9–13-day-old pups more frequently.However,these paternal behaviors did not show significant changes with age of pups in new fathers.In addition,experienced fathers had dramatically higher prolactin levels than new fathers but had similar concentrations of testosterone to new fathers.New fathers had lower levels of testosterone but higher levels of prolactin than new paired males.The fathers had higher prolactin levels in the earlier days of their mate’s lactation.The new and experienced fathers had similar dendritic length and spine density on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex but displayed higher levels than new paired males.Taken together,these results indicate that reduction of testosterone levels and increase of prolactin levels may be associated with initiation of paternal care.Fathering experience significantly affects levels of parental care and paternal behaviors toward different aged pups,and brain plasticity can also be enhanced by transition to fatherhood.展开更多
基金funded by theNatural Science Foundation of China(30670273)Natural Science Foundation of ShaanXi(2008C269)+1 种基金Science and Technology Plan Project of Xi'an Burea of Science and Technology(YF07194)Special Science Research Fund for Xi'an University of Arts and Science(KY200520)
文摘In order to investigate the neuroendocrine mechanism of the mating behavior in the adult male mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus,the radioimmunoassay(RIA)and immunohistochemistry methods were used to investigate the differences in plasma testosterone(T)concentrations and distribution of T immunoreactive neurons(T-IRs),androgen receptor immunoreactive neurons(AR-IRs)and Fos protein immunoreactive neurons(Fos-IRs)in the accessory olfactory bulb(AOB)and the main olfactory bulb(MOB)following exposure to clean hard-wood shavings(control group),soiled bedding(exposure group)or contact with an estrous female(mating group).Results showed that plasma T concentration was significantly higher in the mating group than that in the exposure group,and both the mating group and the exposure group displayed significantly higher plasma T concentration than the control group.T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs were investigated with the immunohistochemistry method in granule cell(GC)and mitral cell(MC)of the MOB and the AOB in the three groups.There were significantly more T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs in MC and GC of the AOB in the mating group than that in the exposure group or the control group.T-IRs,AR-IRs and Fos-IRs did not show significant differences between the exposure group and the control group.Furthermore,obvious differences in MC and GC of the MOB were not found among the three groups.The results confirm that both changes of T and AR in the AOB might be underlying mating behavior in the adult male mandarin voles.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30670273No.30200026)Ministry of Education Key Project of Peoples Republic of China(20060718)
文摘To gain insight into the function of AOB and MOB during different social interaction and in different vole species,the behaviors and neural activation of the olfactory bulbs in social interactions of mandarin voles Microtus mandarinus and reed voles Microtus fortis were compared in the present research.Mandarin voles spent significantly more time attacking and sniffing their opponents and sniffing sawdust than reed voles.During same sex encounters,mandarin voles attacked their opponents for a significantly longer time and sniffed its opponent for shorter time compared with male-female interactions.However,no significant behavioral differences were found during encounters of two individual reed voles,regardless of gender composition of the pair.Using c-Fos as an indicator of neural activation,we observed that neural activation was significantly higher in almost all sub-regions of the main olfactory bulb(MOB)and the accessory olfactory bulb(AOB)of mandarin voles compared with reed voles.Numbers of c-Fos-ir neurons in almost all sub-regions of the AOB and the MOB during male-female interactions were also higher than those in interactions of the same sex.Anterior-posterior ratios of Fos-ir neurons in the AOBM(AOBMR)and the AOBG(AOBGR)in male-female interaction were significantly higher than those in interaction of the same sex.The AOBMR of male mandarin voles and reed voles were larger than those of females in male-female interactions.Behavioral patterns are consistent with cellular activity patterns.Consistent level of neural activation in MOB and AOB suggests important roles of both the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb in social interaction in two species.
基金funded by the STI2030-Majior Projects grant number 2022ZD0205101the National Natural Science Foundation of China grants numbers 32270510 and 31901082+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province,China grant number 2020JQ-412the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation grant number 2019M653534the Fundamental Research Funds for Central University grants number GK202301012.
文摘Animals may experience early negative(mechanical pain:being retrieved using an incisor by parents or attacked)or positive stimulation(being licked and groomed)that may affect emotional and social behaviors in adulthood.Whether positive tactile stimulation can reverse adverse consequences on emotional and social behaviors in adulthood resulting from chronic mechanical pain and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study used a tailpinching model during development to simulate mechanical pain experienced by pups in high-social mandarin voles(Microtus mandarinus).Subsequently,brush-like positive tactile stimuli were applied to the backs of the mandarin voles.Various behavioral tests were used to measure levels of anxiety,depression,and sociability.The results showed that early tail-pinching delayed the eye opening of pups,increased levels of anxiety,reduced levels of sociality in male mandarin voles,and impaired social cognition in females during adulthood.Brushing on the back reversed some of these effects.While mandarin voles that were exposed to tail-pinching during development were exposed to sub-threshold variable stress as adults,they were more likely to show a stress-induced increase of anxiety-like behavior,reduction of sociability,and impairment of social cognition,displaying heightened susceptibility to stress,particularly in males.However,back-brushing reversed some of these effects,implying that these adults display enhanced stress resilience.In addition,tail-pinching reduced levels of serum oxytocin and increased corticosterone levels in serum,but back-brushing reversed these effects.Overall,it was found that positive tactile stimulation reversed increases in anxiety and impairments of social behavior induced by negative stimulation in male mandarin voles via alteration of oxytocin and corticosterone levels.
基金This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31372213 and 31670421)Fundamental Research Funds for Central University(GK201305009)Xi’an Science Technology Program(CXY1531WL17).
文摘Maternal behaviors and brains change dramatically with pregnancy,parturition and other mothering experiences.However,whether paternal behavior,brain plasticity and levels of relevant hormones also change along with fathering experience and pups’age remains unclear.Using socially monogamous mandarin voles(Micro-tus mandarinus),we found that experienced fathers exhibited more active paternal behaviors,such as licking,retrievals and nest building,but less paternal care,such as huddling,than new fathers.The high levels of licking and nest building appeared in the earlier days of their mate’s lactation.Experienced fathers retrieved 9–13-day-old pups more frequently.However,these paternal behaviors did not show significant changes with age of pups in new fathers.In addition,experienced fathers had dramatically higher prolactin levels than new fathers but had similar concentrations of testosterone to new fathers.New fathers had lower levels of testosterone but higher levels of prolactin than new paired males.The fathers had higher prolactin levels in the earlier days of their mate’s lactation.The new and experienced fathers had similar dendritic length and spine density on pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex but displayed higher levels than new paired males.Taken together,these results indicate that reduction of testosterone levels and increase of prolactin levels may be associated with initiation of paternal care.Fathering experience significantly affects levels of parental care and paternal behaviors toward different aged pups,and brain plasticity can also be enhanced by transition to fatherhood.
