کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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6259948 | 1290012 | 2011 | 6 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
![عکس صفحه اول مقاله: Research reportSocial and hormonal triggers of neural plasticity in naked mole-rats Research reportSocial and hormonal triggers of neural plasticity in naked mole-rats](/preview/png/6259948.png)
Naked mole-rats are eusocial rodents that live in large social groups with a strict reproductive hierarchy. In each colony only a few individuals breed; all others are non-reproductive subordinates. We previously showed that breeders have increased volume of several brain regions linked to reproduction: the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTp), and the medial amygdala (MeA). Breeders also have more large motoneurons in Onuf's nucleus (ON) in the spinal cord, a cell group innervating perineal muscles that attach to the genitalia. Here, we sought to determine triggers for the neural changes seen in breeders. Specifically, we compared four groups of animals: subordinates, paired animals that did not reproduce, gonadally intact breeders, and gonadectomized breeders. We find that pairing alone is sufficient to cause breeder-like changes in volume of the PVN and cell size distribution in ON. In contrast, increases in BSTp volume were seen only in animals that actually reproduced. Those changes that were seen in successful breeders appear to be independent of gonadal steroids because long-term gonadectomy did not reverse the breeder-like neural changes in the PVN, BSTp or ON, although a trend for gonadectomized animals having larger MeA volumes was detected. Thus, neural changes associated with breeding status in naked mole-rats may be triggered by different aspects of the social and reproductive environment; once changes occur they are largely independent of gonadal hormones and may be permanent.
Research highlightsⶠPVN volume increased following removal from the colony and pairing. ⶠCell size in ON was affected by removal from the colony and pairing. ⶠIncreases in BSTp volume were seen only in animals that actually reproduced. ⶠGonadectomy did not reverse the breeder-like neural changes in the PVN, BSTp or ON.
Journal: Behavioural Brain Research - Volume 218, Issue 1, 17 March 2011, Pages 234-239