Jacobson C D, Terkel J, Gorski R A, Sawyer C H
Brain Res. 1980 Aug 4;194(2):471-8. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(80)91226-3.
Previous studies in rats have demonstrated that large lesions in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) disrupt all aspects of maternal behavior. In the present study, small bilateral electrolyte lesions in the MPOA of lactating females abolished nest building and retrieving components of maternal behavior while crouching and nursing were unaffected. Animals which failed to show retrieval and nest building behaviors tended to have a greater area of lesion within the more dorsal part of the MPOA. Although the dorsal MPOA may play a role in the maintenance of the active components of maternal behavior, i.e. nest building and retrieving, another critical factor in determining which components of maternal behavior are disrupted may be the size of the lesion. As one increases the area of damaged tissue there is also an accompanying increase in the components of maternal behavior which are disrupted. No correlation was found between damage to the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the preoptic area and retrieving and nest building.
先前对大鼠的研究表明，内侧视前区（MPOA）的大面积损伤会破坏母性行为的各个方面。在本研究中，哺乳期雌性大鼠MPOA的双侧小面积电解损伤消除了筑巢和找回幼崽等母性行为成分，而蹲伏和哺乳行为未受影响。未能表现出找回幼崽和筑巢行为的动物，其MPOA背侧部分的损伤面积往往更大。虽然背侧MPOA可能在维持母性行为的主动成分（即筑巢和找回幼崽）中起作用，但决定哪些母性行为成分会被破坏的另一个关键因素可能是损伤的大小。随着受损组织面积的增加，被破坏的母性行为成分也会相应增加。视前区性二态核的损伤与找回幼崽和筑巢行为之间未发现相关性。
