The oxytocin system promotes resilience to the effects of neonatal isolation on adult social attachment in female prairie voles.

ABSTRACT: Genes and social experiences interact to create variation in social behavior and vulnerability to develop disorders of the social domain. Socially monogamous prairie voles display remarkable diversity in neuropeptide receptor systems and social behavior. Here, we examine the interaction of early-life adversity and brain oxytocin receptor (OTR) density on adult social attachment in female prairie voles. First, pups were isolated for 3 h per day, or unmanipulated, from postnatal day 1-14. Adult subjects were tested on the partner preference (PP) test to assess social attachment and OTR density in the brain was quantified. Neonatal social isolation impaired female PP formation, without affecting OTR density. Accumbal OTR density was, however, positively correlated with the percent of time spe

SUBMITTER: Barrett CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5068726 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature