biostudies-literaturePozo MMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesEC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (H2020)EC | Horizon 2020 Framework ProgrammeBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Councile2218142120https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10104524biostudies-literatureUnknown120(15)The internal state of an animal, including homeostatic requirements, modulates its behavior. Negative energy balance stimulates hunger, thus promoting a range of actions aimed at obtaining food. While these survival actions are well established, the influence of the energy status on prosocial behavior remains unexplored. We developed a paradigm to assess helping behavior in which a free mouse was faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer. We measured the willingness of the free mouse to liberate the confined mouse under diverse metabolic conditions. Around 42% of ad libitum-fed mice exhibited a helping behavior, as evidenced by the reduction in the latencies to release the trapped cagemate. This behavior was independent of subsequent social contact reward and was associated with chaProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaNegative energy balance hinders prosocial helping behavior.PMC10104524BFU2015-72486-EXP725004BB/V016318/1Obri ACosta-Font JRamirez SToledo MBoudjadja MBEyre EGomez-Valades AGBen-Ami Bartal IHaddad-Tovolli RD'Agostino GPozo MChivite IMila-Guasch MClaret MfalseNegative energy balance hinders prosocial helping behavior.The internal state of an animal, including homeostatic requirements, modulates its behavior. Negative energy balance stimulates hunger, thus promoting a range of actions aimed at obtaining food. While these survival actions are well established, the influence of the energy status on prosocial behavior remains unexplored. We developed a paradigm to assess helping behavior in which a free mouse was faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer. We measured the willingness of the free mouse to liberate the confined mouse under diverse metabolic conditions. Around 42% of ad libitum-fed mice exhibited a helping behavior, as evidenced by the reduction in the latencies to release the trapped cagemate. This behavior was independent of subsequent social contact reward and was associated with cha2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2026-05-28T16:08:13.822Z2025-04-06T10:18:42.633ZS-EPMC101045243702312310.1073/pnas.2218142120