title: Sexual dimorphism in the vasopressin system: lack of an altered behavioral phenotype in female V1a receptor knockout mice.
abstract: Previous findings with an AVP V1a receptor knockout mouse (V1aRKO) demonstrate a significant role for this receptor in anxiety-like behavior in males. Here we report the lack of anxiety-like effects of the null mutation in female mice. V1aRKO females performed normally on all tests for anxiety-like behavior. This sex difference may be due to the sexual dimorphism in the extra-hypothalamic vasopressin system, with males having significantly more vasopressin fibers in this system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. alanwithisa@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Isadora F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Bielsky
authors.forename: Shuang-Bao
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Larry J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008032:Limbic System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin