Species differences in behavior and cell proliferation/survival in the adult brains of female meadow and prairie voles. (19th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pan, Y.; Liu, Y.; Lieberwirth, C.; Zhang, Z.; Wang, Z.
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience. Volume 315(2016)
• Page Start: 259
• Page End: 270
• Publication Date: 2016-02-19
• Subjects: AMY amygdala -- ANOVA analysis of variance -- BrdU 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine -- CSF cerebrospinal fluid -- DAB 3′-diainobenzidine -- DG dentate gyrus of the hippocampus -- Icv intracerebroventricular -- NGS normal goat serum -- OT oxytocin -- PBS phosphate buffer saline -- PBT PBS with 0.5% Triton X-100 -- SVZ subventricular zone -- VMH ventromedial hypothalamus; anxiety -- affiliative behavior -- ventromedial hypothalamus -- amygdala -- oxytocin; Neurochemistry -- Periodicals; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurochimie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurochemistry; Neurophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.12.026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4522

Abstract

Highlights: Meadow voles display higher levels of anxiety-like behaviors than prairie voles. Prairie voles display higher levels of social affiliation and recognition than meadow voles. Cell proliferation & survival in the VMH and AMY, but not DG, are higher in prairie than meadow voles. The numbers of new cells in the VMH and AMY correlate with anxiety-like and social behaviors. Oxytocin treatment was not effective to affect behaviors and cell proliferation & survival. 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.