title: Antagonism of V1b receptors promotes maternal motivation to retrieve pups in the MPOA and impairs pup-directed behavior during maternal defense in the mpBNST of lactating rats.
abstract: Recent studies using V1b receptor (V1bR) knockout mice or central pharmacological manipulations in lactating rats highlighted the influence of this receptor for maternal behavior. However, its role in specific brain sites known to be important for maternal behavior has not been investigated to date. In the present study, we reveal that V1bR mRNA (qPCR) and protein levels (Western blot) within either the medial preoptic area (MPOA) or the medial-posterior part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (mpBNST) did not differ between virgin and lactating rats. Furthermore, we characterized the effects of V1bR blockade via bilateral injections of the receptor subtype-specific antagonist SSR149415 within the MPOA or the mpBNST on maternal behavior (maternal care under non-stress and stress conditions, maternal motivation to retrieve pups in a novel environment, maternal aggression) and anxiety-related behavior in lactating rats. Blocking V1bR within the MPOA increased pup retrieval, whereas within the mpBNST it decreased pup-directed behavior, specifically licking/grooming the pups, during the maternal defense test. In addition, immediately after termination of the maternal defense test, V1bR antagonism in both brain regions reduced nursing, particularly arched back nursing. Anxiety-related behavior was not affected by V1bR antagonism in either brain region. In conclusion our data indicate that V1bR antagonism significantly modulates different aspects of maternal behavior in a brain region-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: doris.bayerl@ur.de.
authors.forename: Doris S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bayerl
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: veronika.kaczmarek@campus.lmu.de.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: benjamin.jurek@ur.de.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jurek
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: erwinregensburg@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Erwin H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: van den Burg
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: inga.neumann@ur.de.
authors.forename: Inga D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: barbara.gassner@stud.uni-regensburg.de.
authors.forename: Barbara M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gaßner
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: stefanie.klampfl@ur.de.
authors.forename: Stefanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Klampfl
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Electronic address: oliver.bosch@ur.de.
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Bosch
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C456029:1-(5-chloro-1-((2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)sulfonyl)-3-(2-methoxyphenyl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-3-yl)-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidinecarboxamide; D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists; D007211:Indoles; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin
keywords: Arginine-vasopressin; Maternal aggression; Maternal care; Maternal defense test; Pup retrieval test; SSR149415; V1a receptor; V1b receptor