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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.