Lim Miranda M, Liu Yan, Ryabinin Andrey E, Bai Yaohui, Wang Zuoxin, Young Larry J
Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 954 Gatewood Road NE, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Horm Behav. 2007 Apr;51(4):508-15. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.01.006. Epub 2007 Jan 27.
Recent evidence suggests a role for corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the regulation of pair bonding in prairie voles. We have previously shown that monogamous and non-monogamous vole species have dramatically different distributions of CRF receptor type 1 (CRF(1)) and CRF receptor type 2 (CRF(2)) in the brain and that CRF(1) and CRF(2) receptor densities in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) are correlated with social organization. Monogamous prairie and pine voles have significantly lower levels of CRF receptor type 1 (CRF(1)), and significantly higher levels of type 2 (CRF(2)) binding, in NAcc than non-monogamous meadow and montane voles. Here, we report that microinjections of CRF directly into the NAcc accelerate partner preference formation in male prairie voles. Control injections of CSF into NAcc, and CRF into caudate-putamen, did not facilitate partner preference. Likewise, CRF injections into NAcc of non-monogamous meadow voles also did not facilitate partner preference. In prairie voles, this CRF facilitation effect was blocked by co-injection of either CRF(1) or CRF(2) receptor antagonists into NAcc. Immunocytochemical staining for CRF and Urocortin-1 (Ucn-1), two endogenous ligands for CRF(1) and CRF(2) receptors in the brain, revealed that CRF, but not Ucn-1, immunoreactive fibers were present in NAcc. This supports the hypothesis that local CRF release into NAcc could activate CRF(1) or CRF(2) receptors in the region. Taken together, our results reveal a novel role for accumbal CRF systems in social behavior.
最近的证据表明，促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）在草原田鼠配偶关系的调节中发挥作用。我们之前已经表明，一夫一妻制和非一夫一妻制的田鼠物种在大脑中促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子1型（CRF(1)）和促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子2型（CRF(2)）的分布存在显著差异，并且伏隔核（NAcc）中的CRF(1)和CRF(2)受体密度与社会组织相关。与非一夫一妻制的草甸田鼠和山地田鼠相比，一夫一妻制的草原田鼠和松果田鼠伏隔核中促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子1型（CRF(1)）的水平显著更低，而促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子2型（CRF(2)）结合水平显著更高。在此，我们报告将CRF直接微量注射到伏隔核中可加速雄性草原田鼠伴侣偏好的形成。向伏隔核中注射脑脊液以及向尾状核 - 壳核中注射CRF作为对照，均未促进伴侣偏好。同样，向非一夫一妻制的草甸田鼠伏隔核中注射CRF也未促进伴侣偏好。在草原田鼠中，将CRF(1)或CRF(2)受体拮抗剂与CRF共同注射到伏隔核中可阻断这种CRF促进作用。对大脑中CRF(1)和CRF(2)受体的两种内源性配体CRF和尿皮质素 - 1（Ucn - 1）进行免疫细胞化学染色，结果显示伏隔核中存在CRF免疫反应性纤维，但不存在Ucn - 1免疫反应性纤维。这支持了这样一种假说，即局部CRF释放到伏隔核中可激活该区域的CRF(1)或CRF(2)受体。综上所述，我们的结果揭示了伏隔核CRF系统在社会行为中的新作用。
