Effects of Early Experience

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的总体目标是检查发展对社会行为的影响以及这些影响的神经内分泌机制。以草原田鼠为模型，我们观察到，在早期生活中，家庭被“操纵”的方式发生明显的微小变化，可能会产生终生后果。我们建议研究早期经历(包括父母激励的影响)和后来表现出的社会行为倾向之间的关系，包括异地行为、形成伴侣偏好的能力、表现出同性攻击性的倾向(可能表明有保护配偶的迹象)，以及对应激源的反应。我们还提出了一种假设，即我们观察到的行为变化反映了神经肽的变化，包括中枢和血液中精氨酸加压素(AVP)、催产素(OT)或促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素(CRH)的水平，以及类固醇激素皮质酮(Cort)。受体放射自显影将被用来检验早期经验对后来的OT、AVP(VIA)和CRH(类型1和2)的区域受体结合的影响。这些经历的代际影响也将得到检验。

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.