Numan M, Numan M J
Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167.
Behav Neurosci. 1991 Dec;105(6):1013-29. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.105.6.1013.
This study presents evidence supporting the view that preoptic area (POA) projections through the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to lower brainstem regions are important for maternal behavior in postpartum rats. Experiment 1 demonstrated that bilateral coronal knife cuts posterior to the VTA disrupted maternal behavior, and Experiment 2 demonstrated a similar disruption when a unilateral knife cut that severed the lateral connections of the medial POA was paired with a contralateral knife cut posterior to the VTA. In a final anatomical experiment using horseradish peroxidase histochemistry, it was shown that knife cuts posterior to the VTA do sever POA efferents. However, such cuts severed other ascending and descending pathways as well, and these may also be involved in maternal behavior control.
本研究提供了证据，支持以下观点：视前区（POA）通过腹侧被盖区（VTA）向脑干下部区域的投射对产后大鼠的母性行为很重要。实验1表明，VTA后方的双侧冠状刀切割会破坏母性行为，实验2表明，当切断内侧POA外侧连接的单侧刀切割与VTA后方的对侧刀切割配对时，也会出现类似的破坏。在最后一项使用辣根过氧化物酶组织化学的解剖学实验中，结果显示VTA后方的刀切割确实切断了POA传出纤维。然而，这种切割也切断了其他的上行和下行通路，而这些通路可能也参与了母性行为的控制。
