ADVANCE Fellows Award: Effects of Early Experience on Parental Behavior in Voles

本研究旨在探讨早期社会经验对草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）雄性父母照顾的影响。草原田鼠是一夫一妻制、合作繁殖的物种，其中雄性表现出高水平的自发父母和异父母行为（照顾婴儿而不是自己的）。然而，主要研究者先前观察到，作为产后期间差异处理的函数，父亲行为存在显著差异。出生后的经验和神经肽激素，包括催产素（OT）和精氨酸加压素（AVP）的可用性，可能有助于表达积极的行为，以及对幼崽。在这个项目中，研究人员将研究不同水平的早期经验对男性同种异体父母照顾的影响的神经生物学基础。幼犬在出生后的第一周会接受不同程度的处理。随后测量的变量将包括同种异体父母的护理和焦虑，以及肽受体系统（OT，AVP和CRH，促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素）的长期变化，这些受体的mRNA表达，以及暴露于幼崽时大脑和血液中的短期肽变化。这个项目将帮助我们了解男性育儿的生物学。草原田鼠是一种一夫一妻制的啮齿动物，雄性参与照顾婴儿。 这个项目将调查早期经验对后来的男性父母照顾的影响及其潜在的神经生物学。

This project will examine the effects of early social experience onmale parental care in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Prairie voles are amonogamous, cooperatively breeding species in which males display high levelsof spontaneous parental and alloparental behavior (taking care of infants not their own). However, the principal investigator has previously observed marked differences in paternal behavior as a function of differential handling during the postnatal period. Experiences during the postnatal period and the availability of neuropeptide hormones, including oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), may contribute to the expression of positive behaviors toward pups as well. In this project the researcher will study the neurobiology underlying the effects of varying levels of early experience on male alloparental care. Pups will receive different levels of handling during the first week of life. Later variables measured will include alloparental care and anxiety, as well as long-term changes in peptide receptor systems (OT, AVP, and CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone), mRNA expression for these receptors, and short-term peptide changes in the brain and blood when exposed to a pup. This project will help us to understand the biology of male parenting. Prairie voles are a monogamous species of rodent in which males participate in infant care. This project will investigate the effects of early experiences on later male parental care and its underlying neurobiology.