Bayerl, Doris S. and Klampfl, Stefanie M. and Bosch, Oliver J. (2019) More than reproduction: Central gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonism decreases maternal aggression in lactating rats. JOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, 31 (9): UNSP e1270. ISSN 0953-8194, 1365-2826
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a major regulator and activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of GnRH in reproduction and sexual behaviour. However, to date, only a single study shows an involvement of GnRH in maternal behaviour where a 30% reduction of GnRH neurones abolishes a mother's motivation to retrieve pups. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the effects of acute central GnRH receptor blockade in lactating rats on maternal care under non-stress and stress conditions, maternal motivation in the pup retrieval test, maternal anxiety on the elevated plus maze, and maternal aggression in the maternal defence test. We found that acute central infusion of a GnRH antagonist ([d-Phe(2,6),Pro(3)]-luteinising hormone-releasing hormone; 0.5 ng 5 mu L-1) impaired a mother's attack behaviour against a female intruder rat during the maternal defence test compared to vehicle controls. However, in contrast to the previous study on reduced GnRH neurones, acute central GnRH antagonism did not affect pup retrieval, nor any other parameter of maternal behaviour or maternal anxiety. Taken together, GnRH receptor activation is mandatory for protection of the offspring. These findings shed new light on GnRH as a neuropeptide acting not exclusively on the reproductive axis but, additionally, on maternal behaviour including pup retrieval and maternal aggression.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | KISSPEPTIN NEURONS; FEMALE RATS; BEHAVIOR; OXYTOCIN; RECEPTOR; SYSTEM; GNRH; AXIS; NEUROENDOCRINE; VASOPRESSIN; LHRH antagonist; maternal aggression; maternal anxiety; maternal care; maternal motivation |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 570 Life sciences 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie > Tierphysiologie/Neurobiologie (Prof. Dr. Inga Neumann) |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Mar 2020 10:21 |
| Last Modified: | 30 Mar 2020 10:21 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/26288 |
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