Neuroendocrine Control of Paternal Care in the Common Marmoset

描述(由申请人提供)：选择使用探索/发展机制，以允许开发方法来检查启动双亲男性父亲照顾行为的激素途径。常见的绒猴Callithrix Jacchus是研究雄性父母照顾荷尔蒙激活的理想模型，因为他们从出生的第一天起就积极参与婴儿照料。父亲对婴儿的暗示非常敏感，但在男性之间表现出多样性，人类父亲也是如此。与有经验的男性相比，父母天真的男性对婴儿暗示的反应要小得多，这表明经验和荷尔蒙对父亲的行为有影响。具体目标1将测试有父母亲经验的成年雄性绒猴对婴儿的反应，或通过雌激素或睾酮或赋形剂的类固醇治疗来控制刺激。我们将在中枢和外周样本中检测催乳素、催产素、加压素和多巴胺在类固醇刺激下的变化。具体目标2将通过培养完整的和分离的垂体腺在激素刺激前后检查前后垂体腺之间的交通。脑垂体激素水平的变化将与在特定目标1中发现的体内变化进行比较。特定目标3将测试父母亲天真的男性对类固醇治疗的婴儿反应，如特定目标1，以及他们的脑垂体反应，如特定目标2。缺乏经验的男性的行为和荷尔蒙反应将与有经验的男性进行比较，对类固醇治疗的脑垂体反应将与有经验的男性进行比较。绒猴是为数不多的社会组织/家庭结构与人类相似的哺乳动物之一。不良的父母教养会导致许多心理社会障碍，如忽视和虐待，这会扰乱人类的健康。了解双亲物种的父性照顾机制将为开发创造积极育儿方式的治疗方法奠定基础。公共卫生相关性：该项目试图了解男性优质父性护理的潜在因素。在父母教养不善或父母缺席的情况下，有许多心理社会障碍会扰乱人类健康。父亲可以对婴儿和儿童发展的积极结果作出重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The use of the exploratory/development mechanism was chosen to allow for the development of methods to examine the hormonal pathway for priming paternal care behaviors in biparental males. The common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, is the ideal model for studying hormonal activation of male parental care due to their active participation in infant care from the first day of birth. Fathers are highly responsive to infant cues, but show between male variability as do human fathers. Parentally naive males are much less responsive to infant cues than experienced males, suggesting there is an experience and hormonal influence on paternal behavior. Specific Aim 1 will test paternally experienced adult male marmosets for their infant responsiveness to an infant or control stimulus by steroid treatment with either estradiol or testosterone or vehicle. We will examine changes in prolactin, oxytocin, vasopressin and dopamine with steroid stimulation in both central and peripheral samples. Specific Aim 2 will examine the communication between the anterior and posterior pituitary through culturing both intact and separated pituitaries before and after steroid challenges. Changes in levels of pituitary hormones will be compared to in vivo changes found in Specific Aim 1. Specific Aim 3 will test paternally naive males for their infant responsiveness by steroid treatment, as in Specific Aim 1 and for their pituitary responses as in Specific Aim 2. Inexperienced male's behavioral and hormonal responses will be compared to experienced males and pituitary responses to steroid treatment will be compared with the experienced males. Marmosets are one of the few mammalian species whose social organization/family structure bears resemblance to that of humans. Poor parenting results in a number of pyschosocial disorders, such as neglect and abuse, which confound human health. Understanding the mechanisms of paternal care in a bi-parental species will lay the foundation for development of treatments to create positive parenting. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project seeks to understand the factors underlying quality paternal care in males. With poor parenting or parental absence, there are a number of psychosocial disorders that confound human health. Fathers can contribute significantly to the positive outcome of infant and child development.