title: Naturally occurring variations in defensive burying behavior are associated with differences in vasopressin, oxytocin, and androgen receptors in the male rat.
abstract: Largely ignored in tests of defensive burying is the capacity for individual animals to display marked variations in active coping behaviors. To expose the neurobiological correlates of this behavioral differentiation rats were exposed to a mousetrap that was remotely triggered upon approach to remove the quality of pain. Relative to animals showing no significant levels of defensive burying activity, rats showing sustained elevations in defensive burying displayed higher levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA and increased numbers of androgen receptor positive cells in the medial amygdala and posterior bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, brain regions that integrate emotional appraisal and sensory information. In contrast, animals showing little to no defensive burying responses displayed relatively higher levels of AVP and oxytocin (OT) mRNA within the supraoptic nucleus and subregions of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus responsible for neuroendocrine and autonomic function. Finally, animals showing sustained levels of burying also displayed increased levels of testosterone and pituitary-adrenal hormones under stress conditions. These findings implicate roles for central AVP and OT in mediating differential avoidance behaviors and demonstrate the utility of using a pain-free test of defensive burying as a framework for exploring naturally occurring differences in coping style and neuroendocrine capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Linfoot
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: John P J
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pinel
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viau
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000379:methods; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D013739:Testosterone; D010121:Oxytocin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone