Oxytocin receptor activation does not mediate associative fear deficits in a Williams Syndrome model.

ABSTRACT: Williams Syndrome results in distinct behavioral phenotypes, which include learning deficits, anxiety, increased phobias and hypersociability. While the underlying mechanisms driving this subset of phenotypes is unknown, oxytocin (OT) dysregulation is hypothesized to be involved as some studies have shown elevated blood OT and altered OT receptor expression in patients. A "Complete Deletion" (CD) mouse, modeling the hemizygous deletion in Williams Syndrome, recapitulates many of the phenotypes present in humans. These CD mice also exhibit impaired fear responses in the conditioned fear task. Here, we address whether OT dysregulation is responsible for this impaired associative fear memory response. We show direct delivery of an OT receptor antagonist to the central nervous system did not r

SUBMITTER: Nygaard KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8842878 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature