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Maternal Behavior

Anne Neumann

PSY 890 Psychopharmacology

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Maternal Behavior

Any behavior that contributes directly to thesurvival of offspring that have left the body

of the female (Nelson, 2005)

Sensitization/ concaveation: processwhereby continuous exposure to youngpups can induce maternal responsiveness innon-lactating female rodents (Rosenblatt,1967)

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Numan & Insel (2003)

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Endocrine control of MB

Moltz et al. (1970): Ovariectomized nulliparous female rats were

injected SC with EB over days 1-11, P over days 6-9

and Prol on days 9 and 10 Control females: EB+P, P+Prol, EB + Prol, no

hormones Females that received EB + P + Prol regimen had

the shortest latencies to onset of MB (48 hours)

Females in the EB and P group showed moderatestimulation of MB (3 days) Females in P + Prol and EB + Prol groups did not

differ from untreated females

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Neuroanatomy of maternalbehavior

VNO accessory olfactory bulbs lateral olfactory tract medial nuclei

of amygdala stria terminalis BNST/ MPOA

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Neurochemistry of MB

Oxytocin

Opioids

Prolactin/Dopamine

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Oxytocin and MB

Pedersen & Prange (1979): ICV oxytocinfacilitates MB in virgin rats.

Fahrbach et al (1986): Oxytocin couldfacilitate MB, only in females tested in anovel environment.

Reducing oxytocin neurotransmission(oxytocin inhibitors, antagonists, lesions ofPVN) inhibits onset of MB.

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Oxytocin and MB

Pedersen et al. (1982)

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Oxytocin

Insel & Harbaugh (1989)

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Oxytocin receptor

Oxytocin receptor: membrane-bound G-proteincoupled receptor that along with the 3 vasopressinreceptors form the OT-AVP receptor family

Oxytocin receptors: in uterus, kidney, and brain

Facilitation of MB requires increase in central rather

than peripheral oxytocin.

Oxytocins effects require estrogen priming.

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Oxytocin

Numan & Insel (2003)

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Opioids and MB

Both the content of -endorphin in the MPOA and thedensity of 3H-nalaxone binding

are decreased during day 12 oflactation relative to day 12 ofpregnancy.

Parallel increases were found in

ovariectomized females treatedwith both E and P relative toovariectomized nontreatedfemales.

Hammer & Bridges (1987)

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Opioids and MB

Bridges & Grimm (1982): Morphine prevented the onset ofmaternal behavior and opiate receptor antagonist naloxoneblocked morphine effects.

Rubin & Bridges (1984): Morphine blocked maternal behaviorin sensitized ovariectomized females, when placed into theMPOA, but not VMH.

Mann, Kinsley, & Bridges (1991): Morphine effects are

mediated via the -receptor: ICV administration of -endorphin or DAGO reduced maternal behavior for 1-3 hours,whereas other opioid agonists (DPDPE (), U50488H ())failed to disrupt MB

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Prolactin and MB

Acute administration of prolactin hasnever been shown to induce rapid-

onset MB.

Lack of selective, high-affinity

antagonists for prolactin receptors todecrease prolactin function

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Prolactin and MB

Numan & Insel (2003)

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References

Bridges, R.S. & Grimm, C.T. (1982). Reversal of morphine disruption of maternalbehavior by concurrent treatment with the opiate antagonist naloxone. Science, 218,166-168.

Hammer, R.P. & Bridges, R.S. (1987). Preoptic area opioids and opiate receptorsincrease during pregnancy and decrease during lactation. Brain Research, 420, 48-56.

Insel, T.R. & Harbaugh, C.R. (1989). Lesions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

disrupt the initiation of maternal behavior. Physiology and Behavior, 45, 1033-1041. Moltz, H., Lubin, M., Leon, N., Numan, M. (1970). Hormonal induction of maternal

behavior in the ovariectomized nulliparous rat. Physiology & Behavior, 5, 1373-1377. Numan, M. & Insel, T.R. (2003). The neurobiology of parental behavior. Springer: New

York Pedersen, C.A., Ascher, J.A., Monroe, Y.L., Prange, A.J. Jr (1982). Oxytocin induces

maternal behavior in virgin female rats. Science, 216, 648-649. Pedersen, C.A., Caldwell, J.D., Walker, C., Ayers, G. & Mason, G.A. (1994). Oxytocin

activates the postpartum onset of rat maternal behavior in the ventral tegmental areaand medial preoptic areas. Behavioral Neuroscience, 108, 1163-1171.

Pedersen, C.A. & Prange Jr., A.J. (1979). Induction of maternal behavior in virgin ratsafter intracerebroventricular administration of oxytocin. Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 76, 6661-6665. Thompson, A.C. & Kristal, M.B. (1996). Opioid stimulation in ventral tegmental area

faciliates the onset of maternal behavior in rats. Brain Research, 743, 184-201.