Neuroendocrine responses to social isolation and paternal deprivation at different postnatal ages in Mandarin voles.
Neonatal isolation and paternal deprivation have long lasting effects on the behavior and neuroendocrine system at adulthood. Whether these effects at adulthood are induced by neonatal changes in relevant neuroendocrine parameters lead by these early-life social experiences is not well understood. Whether monogamous rodents exhibit a stress hypo-responsive period (SHRP) also remains unclear. Using the monogamous mandarin vole, we found that 30 min of isolation did not affect levels of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) at postnatal days 8, 10, and 12 displaying a SHRP, but increased these at postnatal days 4, 14, 16, and 18. Isolation increased vasopressin (AVP)-ir neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) from postnatal days 4 to 12, and up-regulated oxytocin (OT)-ir neurons in the PVN at postnatal days 4 and 8 and SON at postnatal day 4. Paternally deprived pups showed increase in ACTH and CORT after 30 min of social isolation from postnatal days 8 to 14, increase in AVP-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14, reduction in OT-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14 and in the SON at postnatal days 12 and 14. These results indicate that monogamous mandarin voles display a short SHRP which can be disrupted by paternal deprivation. Central AVP and OT levels may also be altered by paternal deprivation and social isolation. We propose that changes in these neuroendocrine parameters induced by early-life social experiences such as those tested here persist and result.
Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China; Key laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.
Lu
L
Wang
Wei
W
Zhang
Ruiyong
R
Wu
Lingzhe
L
Kong
Weige
W
Feng
Yan
Y
Cao
Fadao
F
Tai
Xia
X
Zhang
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D003411:Arvicolinae; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D010332:Paternal Behavior; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D012934:Social Isolation; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone
ACTH; AVP; CORT; OT; isolation; mandarin voles; paternal deprivation; stress hypo-responsive period (SHRP)