Engelmann M, Ebner K, Wotjak C T, Landgraf R
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Behav Brain Res. 1998 Jan;90(1):89-94. doi: 10.1016/s0166-4328(97)00084-3.
To investigate the involvement of oxytocin in their short-term lasting olfactory memory performance, adult female Wistar rats (n = 12) were tested for their juvenile discrimination abilities. As measured by their exploratory behavior towards juveniles, the adult rats were able to discriminate between a previously exposed juvenile and a novel one as long as the interval between the two exposures was less than 180 min. This ability was maintained across all days of the estrous cycle and was unaffected by intracerebroventricular administration of synthetic oxytocin (1 ng/5 microl Ringer's solution) or Ringer's solution immediately after the first exposure. However, treatment with the oxytocin receptor antagonist des-Gly-NH2 d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2Thr4]OVT interfered with the ability to establish this kind of olfactory memory although the vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (100 ng/5 microl each) via the same route did not. This suggests that within a narrow range of concentrations endogenous oxytocin, but not vasopressin, is critically involved in short-term olfactory memory for juvenile conspecifics in female rats. These data are discussed in the light of sexual dimorphic brain development.
为了研究催产素在成年雌性Wistar大鼠（n = 12）短期持续嗅觉记忆表现中的作用，对其幼年辨别能力进行了测试。通过成年大鼠对幼年大鼠的探索行为来衡量，只要两次接触之间的间隔小于180分钟，成年大鼠就能区分先前接触过的幼年大鼠和新的幼年大鼠。这种能力在发情周期的所有日子里都能保持，并且在首次接触后立即脑室内注射合成催产素（1 ng/5微升林格氏液）或林格氏液对其没有影响。然而，用催产素受体拮抗剂去甘氨酰胺基d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2Thr4]OVT处理会干扰建立这种嗅觉记忆的能力，而通过相同途径注射血管升压素V1受体拮抗剂d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP（各100 ng/5微升）则不会。这表明在狭窄的浓度范围内，内源性催产素而非血管升压素在雌性大鼠对幼年同种个体的短期嗅觉记忆中起关键作用。根据两性异形的大脑发育对这些数据进行了讨论。
