Synthetic Oxytocin and Vasopressin Act Within the Central Amygdala to Exacerbate Aggression in Female Wistar Rats

De Moura Oliveira, Vinicius Elias; de Jong, Trynke R.; Neumann, Inga D.

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.906617

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Synthetic Oxytocin and Vasopressin Act Within the Central Amygdala to Exacerbate Aggression in Female Wistar Rats

De Moura Oliveira, Vinicius Elias; de Jong, Trynke R.; Neumann, Inga D.

2022 • In Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/290900

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10.3389/fnins.2022.906617

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Oliveira et. al. 2022, Synthetic OXT and AVP within the CeA.pdf

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Keywords :

General Neuroscience; Neuroendocrinology; Behavioral Neuroscience; Oxytocin; Vasopressin; Social behavior; Aggression

Abstract :

[en] Exacerbated aggression is a high-impact, but poorly understood core symptom of several psychiatric disorders, which can also affect women. Animal models have successfully been employed to unravel the neurobiology of aggression. However, despite increasing evidence for sex-specificity, little is known about aggression in females. Here, we studied the role of the oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) systems within the central amygdala (CeA) on aggressive behavior displayed by virgin female Wistar rats using immunohistochemistry, receptor autoradiography, and neuropharmacology. Our data show that CeA GABAergic neurons are activated after an aggressive encounter in the female intruder test. Additionally, neuronal activity (pERK) negatively correlated with the display of aggression in low-aggressive group-housed females. Binding of OXT receptors, but not AVP-V1a receptors, was increased in the CeA of high-aggressive isolated and trained (IST) females. Finally, local infusion of either synthetic OXT or AVP enhanced aggression in IST females, whereas blockade of either of these receptors did not affect aggressive behavior. Altogether, our data support a moderate role of the CeA in female aggression. Regarding neuropeptide signaling, our findings suggest that synthetic, but not endogenous OXT and AVP modulate aggressive behavior in female Wistar rats.

Disciplines :

Life sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others

Author, co-author :

De Moura Oliveira, Vinicius Elias ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Neuroendocrinology

de Jong, Trynke R.

Neumann, Inga D.

Language :

English

Title :

Synthetic Oxytocin and Vasopressin Act Within the Central Amygdala to Exacerbate Aggression in Female Wistar Rats

Publication date :

18 May 2022

Journal title :

Frontiers in Neuroscience

ISSN :

1662-4548

eISSN :

1662-453X

Publisher :

Frontiers Media SA

Volume :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.906617/full

European Projects :

FP7 - 602407 - FEMNAT-CD - Neurobiology and Treatment of Adolescent Female Conduct Disorder: The Central Role of Emotion Processing

Funders :

DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
EU - European Union

Available on ORBi :

since 18 May 2022

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