Effects of Early Experience

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的总体目标是研究发育对社会行为的影响以及这些影响的神经内分泌机制。以草原田鼠为例，我们观察到，在幼年时期家庭被“操纵”的方式上明显的微小变化可能会产生终生的影响。我们建议研究早期经历（包括父母刺激的影响）与后期表现出社会行为的倾向（包括异父母行为）、形成伴侣偏好的能力、表现出同性攻击的倾向（可能表明配偶保护）以及对压力源的反应之间的关系。我们还建议验证我们观察到的行为变化反映神经肽变化的假设，包括中枢和血液中精氨酸抗利尿激素（AVP），催产素（OT）或促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH）以及类固醇激素，皮质酮（CORT）的水平。受体放射自显影将用于检查早期经历对后期OT、AVP （Via）和CRH（1型和2型）的区域受体结合的影响。这些经历的代际影响也将被研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The general goal of this research is to examine developmental influences on social behaviors and the neuroendocrine mechanisms of these influences. Using as a model the prairie vole, we have observed that apparently minor changes in the manner in which families are "manipulated" in early life can have life-long consequences. We propose to study the relationship between early experiences, including the influence of parental stimulation, and the later tendency to show social behaviors including alloparental behavior, the capacity to form a partner preference, the tendency to show same-sex aggression (possibly indicative of mate guarding), as well as reactivity to stressors. We also propose to test the hypothesis that the behavioral changes we have observed reflect modifications in neuropeptides, including central and blood levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) or corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), and the steroid hormone, corticosterone (CORT). Receptor autoradiography will be used to examine the effects of early experience on later regional receptor binding for the OT, AVP (Via), and CRH (type 1 and 2). Intergenerational effects of these experiences will be examined as well.