Reburn C J, Wynne-Edwards K E
Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Horm Behav. 1999 Apr;35(2):163-76. doi: 10.1006/hbeh.1998.1509.
Blood samples from male hamsters (Phodopus) during their mate's gestation and early lactation show that key hormones important in maternal behavior are also changing in males and differ for two closely related species with different levels of paternal care. Results of study 1 were consistent with a relationship between higher prolactin, lower testosterone and paternal behavior during early lactation in P. campbelli and provided no evidence for similar hormonal changes in P. sungorus. Study 2 sampled males before or after the birth. Prolactin did not increase until at least one day after the birth in P. campbelli but was high at the end of the pregnancy in P. sungorus. Increasing testosterone concentrations in P. campbelli as the birth approached were consistent with mate guarding, high testosterone concentrations on L5 were consistent with paternal aggression in defense of the litter, and the drop in testosterone after the birth was consistent with reduced aggression toward the new pups. Results confirmed that cortisol concentrations were reduced following the establishment of a pair-bond and found that P. campbelli males had elevated cortisol before the birth. Results support the hypothesis that mammalian paternal behavior has a hormonal basis which is analogous to maternal behavior.
在伴侣怀孕和哺乳初期采集的雄性仓鼠（黑线毛足鼠属）血样显示，对母性行为至关重要的关键激素在雄性体内也在发生变化，且在两种父性照料水平不同的近缘物种中存在差异。研究1的结果表明，在坎氏毛足鼠哺乳初期，催乳素水平升高、睾酮水平降低与父性行为之间存在关联，而在黑线毛足鼠中未发现类似的激素变化。研究2在出生前后对雄性进行采样。在坎氏毛足鼠中，催乳素直到出生后至少一天才升高，而在黑线毛足鼠中，怀孕末期催乳素水平较高。随着坎氏毛足鼠出生临近，睾酮浓度升高与配偶保卫行为一致，L5时高睾酮浓度与为保护幼崽的父性攻击行为一致，出生后睾酮水平下降与对新生幼崽攻击性降低一致。结果证实，建立配偶关系后皮质醇浓度降低，且发现坎氏毛足鼠雄性在出生前皮质醇水平升高。结果支持了哺乳动物父性行为具有与母性行为类似的激素基础这一假设。
