title: Oxytocin activates the postpartum onset of rat maternal behavior in the ventral tegmental and medial preoptic areas.
abstract: Oxytocin binding (Bmax) was found to be higher in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the medial preoptic area (MPOA) at midparturition compared with Pregnancy Days 15-17 or Postpartum Days 5-7 in rat dams. Pup retrieval and assuming a nursing posture over pups were blocked in parturient dams by infusions of an oxytocin antagonist into the VTA or MPOA and by infusions of a vasopressin (V1) antagonist into the MPOA. These results implicate oxytocin in the VTA and MPOA and vasopressin in the MPOA, as well as a parturition-associated rise in oxytocin binding in these sites in the postpartum activation of maternal behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7250.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000502:physiology; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin