title: Species differences in behavior and cell proliferation/survival in the adult brains of female meadow and prairie voles.
abstract: Microtine rodents display diverse patterns of social organization and behaviors, and thus provide a useful model for studying the effects of the social environment on physiology and behavior. The current study compared the species differences and the effects of oxytocin (OT) on anxiety-like, social affiliation, and social recognition behaviors in female meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Furthermore, cell proliferation and survival in the brains of adult female meadow and prairie voles were compared. We found that female meadow voles displayed a higher level of anxiety-like behavior but lower levels of social affiliation and social recognition compared to female prairie voles. In addition, meadow voles showed lower levels of cell proliferation (measured by Ki67 staining) and cell survival (measured by BrdU staining) in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and amygdala (AMY), but not the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG), than prairie voles. Interestingly, the numbers of new cells in the VMH and AMY, but not DG, also correlated with anxiety-like, social affiliation, and social recognition behaviors in a brain region-specific manner. Finally, central OT treatment (200 ng/kg, icv) did not lead to changes in behavior or cell proliferation/survival in the brain. Together, these data indicate a potential role of cell proliferation/survival in selected brain areas on different behaviors between vole species with distinct life strategies.
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular and Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China; Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA; Behavioral Science Department, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, 84058, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lieberwirth
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270, USA. Electronic address: zwang@psy.fsu.edu.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012919:Social Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: affiliative behavior; amygdala; anxiety; oxytocin; ventromedial hypothalamus