Malenfant S A, Barry M, Fleming A S
Department of Psychology, Erindale College, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario.
Physiol Behav. 1991 Feb;49(2):289-94. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(91)90045-p.
We have previously shown that cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, blocks retention of experimentally based material responding in postpartum rats. In the following study, we investigated further the effect of this drug on maternal experience effects and, in particular, on the retention of olfactory learning. Dams were injected SC with cycloheximide or saline following a one-hour maternal experience with pups scented with one of two artificial odorants. When tested eight days later, saline but not cycloheximide animals demonstrated a preference for the odor which they had experience on pups. Animals were then tested for maternal responsiveness with pups that were scented with an odor that was either the same or different from the one used in the maternal experience. All animals receiving cycloheximide, regardless of the pup odor at testing, exhibited long latencies to become maternal, replicating our earlier finding that the retention of learning in maternal behavior is susceptible to disruption by protein synthesis inhibitors. A similar disruption of the experience effect was found when the pup odor at testing was different from the exposure odor. This suggests that olfactory learning may normally play a role in the mediation of postpartum experience effects.
我们之前已经表明，蛋白质合成抑制剂放线菌酮可阻断产后大鼠基于实验的物质反应的保持。在接下来的研究中，我们进一步研究了这种药物对母体经验效应的影响，特别是对嗅觉学习保持的影响。在对用两种人工气味之一进行气味标记的幼崽进行一小时的母体经验后，给母鼠皮下注射放线菌酮或生理盐水。八天后进行测试时，注射生理盐水的动物表现出对它们在幼崽身上闻到过的气味的偏好，而注射放线菌酮的动物则没有。然后，用与母体经验中使用的气味相同或不同的气味对幼崽进行气味标记，测试动物的母性反应能力。所有接受放线菌酮注射的动物，无论测试时幼崽的气味如何，成为母性的潜伏期都很长，这重复了我们之前的发现，即母体行为中的学习保持容易受到蛋白质合成抑制剂的干扰。当测试时幼崽的气味与接触气味不同时，也发现了类似的经验效应破坏。这表明嗅觉学习可能通常在产后经验效应的介导中起作用。
