Dissertation Research: Vasopressin-Glutamate Interactions in the LAH of Aggressive Male Syrian Hamsters

在过去的40年里，对攻击性的研究已经确定了参与调节攻击性行为的主要神经递质和大脑区域。然而，关键的大脑区域和神经递质如何相互作用来调节攻击性尚不清楚。在下丘脑外侧前部(即LAH；攻击的控制中心，接收和整合来自参与攻击控制的其他脑区的攻击输入，并将输出投射发回)，加压素是一种促进攻击的神经肽。此外，在这个大脑区域，谷氨酸(即下丘脑中的一种主要兴奋性氨基酸)先前被假设为其他攻击大脑区域的攻击输出系统。目前的项目将专注于了解LAH中的加压素和谷氨酸之间的相互作用如何调节攻击行为。具体地说，暴露于中等剂量合成雄激素的雄性叙利亚仓鼠(Mesocricus Auratus)将被用来研究下丘脑加压素增加是否刺激谷氨酸细胞的活动，并为这些动物观察到的不断升级的攻击行为奠定基础。这个项目将主要使用行为药理学来研究攻击性行为的变化如何映射到大脑活动的变化。该项目的发现不仅将提供新的知识，进一步加深我们对攻击性神经生物学的理解，而且还将为研究大脑机制如何调节行为的其他研究领域做出贡献。此外，该项目还将促进一名女博士生作为早期神经学家的发展，以及对来自代表不足群体的各种本科生的实验室培训。

During the past 40 years research in aggression has identified the main neurotransmitters and brain areas involved in the modulation of aggressive behavior. However, how key brain areas and neurotransmitters interact to modulate aggression is unknown. In the lateral anterior hypothalamus (i.e., LAH; the center of control of aggression that receives and integrates aggression inputs from other brain areas involved in aggression control and sends output projections back), vasopressin is a neuropeptide that facilitates aggression. Moreover, in this brain area glutamate (i.e., a predominant excitatory amino acid in the hypothalamus) has been previously hypothesized to be the aggression output system to other aggression brain areas. The current project will focus on understanding how interactions between vasopressin and glutamate in the LAH modulate the aggressive behavior. Specifically, male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) exposed to moderate doses of anabolic androgenic steroids will be used to investigate whether increased hypothalamic vasopressin stimulates the activity of glutamate cells and underlies the escalated aggressive behavior observed in these animals. This project will primarily use behavior pharmacology to investigate how changes in aggressive behavior map to changes in brain activity. The findings from this project will not only provide new knowledge that will further our understanding on the neurobiology of aggression but it will also make a contribution to other research areas investigating how brain mechanisms regulate behavior. Moreover, this project will promote the development as an early neuroscientist of a female PhD student and training in laboratory of various undergraduate students from underrepresented groups.