Laboratory for Morphological and Biomolecular Imaging, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 29;22(13):6998. doi: 10.3390/ijms22136998.
Parental behaviour is a comprehensive set of neural responses to social cues. The neural circuits that govern parental behaviour reside in several putative nuclei in the brain. Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), a neuromodulator that integrates physiological functions, has been confirmed to be involved in parental behaviour, particularly in crouching behaviour during nursing. Abolishing MCH neurons in innate MCH knockout males promotes infanticide in virgin male mice. To understand the mechanism and function of neural networks underlying parental care and aggression against pups, it is essential to understand the basic organisation and function of the involved nuclei. This review presents newly discovered aspects of neural circuits within the hypothalamus that regulate parental behaviours.
父母行为是对社会线索的一系列综合神经反应。控制父母行为的神经回路存在于大脑中的几个假定核中。黑色素集中激素（MCH）是一种整合生理功能的神经调质，已被证实参与了父母行为，特别是在哺乳期间的蹲伏行为中。在先天 MCH 敲除雄性中消除 MCH 神经元会促进处女雄性小鼠的杀婴行为。为了了解亲子行为和对幼崽攻击的神经网络的机制和功能，了解参与核的基本组织和功能至关重要。这篇综述介绍了调节父母行为的下丘脑内神经回路的新发现方面。
