Numan M, Nagle D S
Behav Neurosci. 1983 Feb;97(1):120-39. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.97.1.120.
This study provides evidence that the preoptic region and the substantia nigra interact in the control of maternal behavior. In the first experiment, large electrolytic lesions of the substantia nigra were found to severely disrupt maternal behavior and cause stereotyped motor activity in postpartum lactating rats. In order to test the hypothesis that the preoptic region and the substantia nigra interact in the control of maternal behavior, a second experiment employed an asymmetrical lesion design. Postpartum lactating rats that received a unilateral knife cut severing the lateral connections of the medial preoptic area and a contralateral lesion of the substantia nigra showed larger deficits in maternal behavior than either sham females or females that received a unilateral preoptic knife cut paired with an ipsilateral substantia nigra lesion. Measurements of body weights, body temperatures, and stereotyped behavior indicated that the differences in maternal behavior between the ipsilateral and contralateral groups could not be explained on the basis of nonspecific effects.
本研究提供了证据，表明视前区和黑质在母性行为的控制中相互作用。在第一个实验中，发现对黑质进行大面积电解损伤会严重扰乱产后哺乳期大鼠的母性行为，并导致刻板运动活动。为了检验视前区和黑质在母性行为控制中相互作用的假设，第二个实验采用了不对称损伤设计。接受单侧刀切切断内侧视前区外侧连接以及对侧黑质损伤的产后哺乳期大鼠，在母性行为方面的缺陷比假手术雌性大鼠或接受单侧视前区刀切并同侧黑质损伤的雌性大鼠更大。体重、体温和刻板行为的测量表明，同侧和对侧组之间母性行为的差异不能用非特异性效应来解释。
