Oxytocin receptors in the midbrain dorsal raphe are essential for postpartum maternal social and affective behaviors.

ABSTRACT: Oxytocin receptors (OTRs) in the midbrain dorsal raphe (DR; the source of most forebrain serotonin) have recently been identified as a potential pharmacological target for treating numerous psychiatric disorders. However, almost all research on this topic has been conducted on males and the role of DR OTRs in female social and affective behaviors is mostly unknown. This may be particularly relevant during early motherhood, which is a time of high endogenous oxytocin signaling, but also a time of elevated risk for psychiatric dysfunction. To investigate whether OTRs in the DR are necessary for postpartum female social and affective behaviors, we constructed and then injected into the DR an adeno-associated virus permanently expressing an shRNA targeting OTR mRNA. We then observed a suite of

SUBMITTER: Grieb ZA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8405581 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature