Motherhood, Oxytocin and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

母性、催产素和内侧前额皮质

基本信息

批准号：
8427294
负责人：
BENEDETTA J LEUNER
金额：
$ 23.36万
依托单位：
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2008
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2008-09-02 至 2015-02-28
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8427294
关键词：
Address Adult Age Anxiety Architecture Attention Attenuated Award Behavior Behavioral Behavioral Assay Brain Brain region Caring Cognition Cognitive Data Dendritic Spines Endocrine Environment Estrogens Evaluation Excitatory Synapse Exhibits Female Foundations Glucocorticoids Goals Hormonal Hormonal Change Hormones Human Impaired cognition Institution Instruction Journals Learning Letters Link Measures Medial Mediating Memory Mental Depression Mental disorders Mood Disorders Mothers Neuropeptides Neurosciences Ohio Outcome Oxytocin Oxytocin Receptor Parenting behavior Phase Play Postpartum Period Predisposition Prefrontal Cortex Process Publishing Rattus Regulation Research Research Personnel Research Project Grants Research Proposals Rewards Rodent Role Site Staging Stress Structure Synaptic plasticity Testing Time TimeLine Universities Update Vertebrates Woman Work adverse outcome behavior measurement brain behavior cognitive function density design experience flexibility hippocampal pyramidal neuron improved insight male motherhood neuronal growth offspring programs relating to nervous system research study resilience stress management way finding

项目摘要

The postpartum period is accompanied by dramatic clianges in hormones, including increased glucocorticoid and decreased estrogen levels. In virgin rodents, high glucocorticoid and low estrogen levels have been associated with diminished dendritic architecture and fewer dendritic spines, sites of excitatory synapses, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This hormonal environment has also been shown to negatively impact behaviors mediated by the mPFC, by impairing cognitive function and enhancing anxiety. Despite the known detrimental effects of high glucocorticoid and low estrogen levels, mothers with this hormonal profile exhibit attenuated anxiety. In addition, research conducted during the K99 phase has shown that dendritic spine density is increased in the mPFC of mother rats and that this effect coincides with improved attention and behavioral flexibility, functions that depend on the mPFC. However, the factors that shield the maternal mPFC from the potentially damaging postpartum hormonal milieu remain unknown. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to buffer stress hormone effects on the brain and behavior and may play a role in protecting mPFC structure and function during motherhood. To investigate this, manipulations of oxytocin receptors, cognitive, anxiety, and maternal behavioral assays and measures of structural plasticity will be employed. The results of these studies will inform us ofthe neural and behavioral alterations associated with motherhood and the role that oxytocin may play in these changes. This work serves as the independent portion of the K99/R00 award and will provide the foundation for a research program focused on elucidating the mechanisms of brain resilience.

产后时期伴随着激素中的戏剧性crianges，包括增加的糖皮质激素并降低雌激素水平。在原始啮齿动物中，高糖皮质激素和低雌激素水平已经与树突状结构减少和较少的树突状刺有关，兴奋性突触部位，内侧前额叶皮层（MPFC）。这种荷尔蒙环境也已显示出负面影响 MPFC介导的行为，通过损害认知功能和增强焦虑。尽管已知高糖皮质激素和低雌激素水平的有害作用，具有这种激素特征的母亲表现出减轻焦虑。此外，在K99阶段进行的研究表明，树突状脊柱母亲大鼠的MPFC的密度增加，这种影响与注意力的提高和行为灵活性，取决于MPFC的功能。但是，屏蔽母亲的因素来自潜在破坏性产后荷尔蒙环境的MPFC仍然未知。神经肽催产素已被证明可以缓冲胁迫激素对大脑和行为的影响，并可能在保护MPFC在孕产期间的结构和功能。为了调查这一点，对催产素的操作受体，认知，焦虑和母体行为分析和结构可塑性的度量将是雇用。这些研究的结果将告知我们与母性和催产素在这些变化中可能起的作用。这项工作是独立的 K99/R00奖的一部分，将为阐明的研究计划奠定基础大脑弹性的机制。