Effects of Early Experience

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的总体目标是检查发育对社会行为的影响以及这些影响的神经内分泌机制。以草原田鼠为模型，我们观察到，家庭在生命早期被“操纵”的方式发生的明显微小变化，可能会产生终身的后果。我们建议研究早期经验之间的关系，包括父母刺激的影响，和后来的倾向，表现出社会行为，包括alloparent行为，形成合作伙伴偏好的能力，表现出同性侵略的倾向（可能表明配偶守卫），以及对压力源的反应。我们还建议测试的假设，我们观察到的行为变化反映了神经肽的修改，包括中央和血液水平的精氨酸加压素（AVP），催产素（OT）或促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素（CRH），和类固醇激素，皮质酮（CORT）。受体放射自显影将用于检查早期经验对OT、AVP（Via）和CRH（1型和2型）的后期区域受体结合的影响。这些经验的代际影响也将得到审查。

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.