Cocaine withdrawal influences paternal behavior and associated central expression of vasopressin, oxytocin and tyrosine hydroxylase in mandarin voles.
Although the disruptive effects of cocaine on the maternal care are well known, little is known about paternal care in the context of cocaine abuse. Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and dopamine (DA) have been found to regulate paternal behavior and are also involved in cocaine abuse. Mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) are socially monogamous and display high levels of paternal care. Here, we investigated whether paternal behavior and associated central levels of AVP, OT and DA were altered following 24 h of withdrawal from 4 day administration of 20 mg/kg/day cocaine. Our data shows that vole fathers did not experience altered levels of locomotion during an open field test. However, compared to controls, cocaine attenuated licking/grooming and contact behavior and shortened the latency to crouching, contact and pup retrieval. Last, fewer AVP and OT immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and more tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the ventral tegmental area were observed in cocaine-treated fathers. These results indicate that cocaine withdrawal disturbs the expression of partial paternal behavior by altering central levels of AVP, OT and DA.
College of Biology Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China. Electronic address: wang_jianli@163.com.
Jianli
J
Wang
College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China.
Fadao
F
Tai
College of Biology Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China.
Xiangjun
X
Lai
D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010332:Paternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D003042:Cocaine
Cocaine; Mandarin vole; Oxytocin; Paternal behavior; Tyrosine hydroxylase; Vasopressin