title: Progesterone and maternal aggressive behavior in rats.
abstract: Females usually display low levels of aggressiveness; however, during lactation, the aggressive behavior against intruders to the nest area is an important component of the maternal behavioral repertoire. The present study aimed to analyze the influence of progesterone (P4) on the maternal aggressive behavior in rats. Lactating rat were ovariectomized on the first day after delivery and, on the 6th postpartum day, aggressive behaviors against a male intruder were recorded. Also in the 6th PPD, the effects of a P4 receptor antagonist (RU 486) as well as of finasteride - which inhibits the conversion of P4 to its metabolite allopregnanolone - on the aggressive behavior of non-ovariectomized lactating rats were analyzed. Finally, plasma concentration of prolactin was measured on the 8th PPD. This study shows, for the first time, that ovariectomy just after parturition reduces some aspects of the maternal behavior (frequency of licking) and the aggressive behavior and increased plasma prolactin. On the other hand, the administration of RU486 induced a marked increase in the aggressiveness of lactating females. No changes were detected after finasteride injection. Gonadal hormones after parturition seem necessary for the development of maternal aggressive behavior. Furthermore, our results suggest that the increase in P4 levels throughout the postpartum period could be one of the causes for the natural reduction of the aggressive behavior in lactating rats.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Sarmento Leite 500, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiana Leopoldo
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Virgínia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: Márcia Scherem
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: de Azevedo
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Gilberto Luiz
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Sanvitto
authors.forename: Aldo Bolten
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lucion
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovenardi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods; D036801:Parturition / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011372:Progestins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D011372:Progestins; D015735:Mifepristone; D011374:Progesterone; D011388:Prolactin