Bamshad M, Novak M A, de Vries G J
Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.
Physiol Behav. 1994 Oct;56(4):751-8. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(94)90238-0.
The density of vasopressin-immunoreactive (AVP-ir) fibers in the lateral septum and lateral habenular nucleus is lower in prairie vole fathers--which display paternal behavior under natural conditions-than in sexually naive males. To see if these changes occur before or after the birth of pups, and whether they are related to changes in paternal behavior, we tested paternal responsiveness and measured AVP-ir fiber density in the lateral septum, lateral habenular nucleus, medial preoptic area, and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus of sexually naive males and females (0P) and breeding pairs that were sacrificed shortly after mating (3P); during early (13P); or late gestation (21P); or after the birth of pups (6PP). Paternal responsiveness was increased in 3P males and reached a plateau in 13P males. AVP-ir fiber density did not change in the medial preoptic area and the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. The fiber density in the lateral septum and lateral habenular nucleus was affected differently in males and females. Among males, 3P animals had the lowest fiber density, while 13P and 6PP animals had an intermediate, and 0P and 21P animals the highest fiber density, whereas among females, no differences in fiber density were found. A second experiment showed that the decrease in fiber density in 3P males could be induced by cohabitation with an unfamiliar female but not by an unfamiliar male nor by relocation to a novel cage. The changes in AVP-ir fiber density shortly after mating suggest that these fibers may be involved in paternal responsiveness as well as in various other social behaviors that change after mating.
在自然条件下表现出父性行为的草原田鼠父亲，其外侧隔区和外侧缰核中加压素免疫反应性（AVP-ir）纤维的密度低于性成熟前的雄性。为了探究这些变化是在幼崽出生之前还是之后发生，以及它们是否与父性行为的变化有关，我们测试了性成熟前的雄性和雌性（0P）以及交配后不久被处死的繁殖对（3P）；妊娠早期（13P）；或妊娠晚期（21P）；或幼崽出生后（6PP）的父性反应，并测量了外侧隔区、外侧缰核、视前内侧区和丘脑室旁核中AVP-ir纤维的密度。3P雄性的父性反应增强，并在13P雄性中达到稳定水平。视前内侧区和丘脑室旁核中的AVP-ir纤维密度没有变化。外侧隔区和外侧缰核中的纤维密度在雄性和雌性中受到的影响不同。在雄性中，3P动物的纤维密度最低，而13P和6PP动物的纤维密度处于中间水平，0P和21P动物的纤维密度最高，而在雌性中，未发现纤维密度有差异。第二项实验表明，3P雄性中纤维密度的降低可由与陌生雌性同居诱导，但不能由陌生雄性或转移到新笼子诱导。交配后不久AVP-ir纤维密度的变化表明，这些纤维可能参与父性反应以及交配后发生变化的各种其他社会行为。
