OXYTOCIN, VASOPRESSIN & SOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN NON HUMAN PRIMATES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Several recent studies have demonstrated that central oxytocin and vasopressin pathways are important for species typical social behaviors in rodents. This project extends this work to non-human primates by investigating oxytocin and vasopressin in both normal and socially abnormal rhesus monkeys. Twenty-four monkeys scheduled for use in the first phase of this project were recruited and housed in differential rearing environments as proposed. We have completed the initial phase of neuroanatomical studies in one cohort of 12 monkeys and have progressed to analysis of several neuropeptide receptor patterns. In the remaining cohort, we continue studies of social and emotional behavior and social cognition. In addition, we have begun studies of physiological measures of emotionality including endocrine levels and heart rate profiles during challenge situations. These studies have provided evidence that macaques with deprived social rearing experiences exhibit deficits in oxyocin, corticotropin-releasing factor and dopaminergic systems. Pharmacological studies have also been performed to examine the influence of systemically administered oxytocin and vasopressin antagonists on neural substrates activated during social interactions among our experimental and control animals.