title: Gene expression in the CNS of lactating rats with different patterns of maternal behavior.
abstract: For most mammalian species, maternal behavior has an essential role in the development of the offspring. The frequency of licking/grooming (LG) the pups has been used as a parameter to evaluate maternal care, having mothers with high (HL) or low (LL) frequencies of LG. This study aimed to analyze the gene expression of the receptors for dopamine (Drd1a), prolactin (Prlr), serotonin (Htr1a, Htr1b), estrogen (Esr1, Esr2), and of Bdnf in the olfactory bulb (OB), hippocampus (HP), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and striatum (ST) of Wistar rats from three groups: LL (n = 8); HL (n = 8); virgin females in diestrus (D; n = 6). Maternal behavior was studied between the 1st and 7th postpartum days. Brain parts were analyzed by qRT-PCR. LL showed a decrease in the frequency of nursing, and an increase of remaining off the pups. There was an increase in gene expression of Drd1a, Prlr, Htr1a, Htr1b and Esr1 in the OB of HL, compared to LL. In the HP, Drd1a, Prlr and Htr1a were differently expressed when comparing HL, or LL, with D. The main finding is that HL had higher gene expression levels in the OB, which is a crucial structure to promote behavioral differences.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Moura
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Virgínia Meneghini
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberta Oriques
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Biomédica, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirela Severo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carina Anicet
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ruthschilling
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Grasiela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agnes
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Beatriz Gorini
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: da Veiga
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aldo Bolten
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lucion
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: giovenardi.marcia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovenardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology*; D007774:Lactation; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D012701:Serotonin; D011388:Prolactin
keywords: Dopamine receptor; Estrogen receptors; Licking/grooming; Olfactory bulb; Prolactin receptor; Serotonin receptors