Vasopressin cell groups exhibit strongly divergent responses to copulation and male–male interactions in mice

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and its nonmammalian homolog arginine vasotocin influence social behaviors ranging from affiliation to resident–intruder aggression. Although numerous sites of action have been established for these behavioral effects, the involvement of specific AVP cell groups in the brain is poorly understood, and socially elicited Fos responses have not been quantified for many of the AVP cell groups found in rodents. Surprisingly, this includes the AVP population in the posterior part of the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTMP), which has been extensively implicated, albeit indirectly, in various aspects of affiliation and other social behaviors. We examined the Fos responses of eight hypothalamic and three extra-hypothalamic AVP-immunoreactive (-ir) cell groups to copulation, nonaggressive male–male interaction, and aggressive male–male interaction in both dominant and subordinate C57BL/6J mice. The BSTMP cells exhibited a response profile that was unlike all other cell groups: from a control baseline of ∼ 5% of AVP-ir neurons colocalizing with Fos, colocalization increased significantly to ∼ 12% following nonaggressive male–male interaction, and to ∼ 70% following copulation. Aggressive interactions did not increase colocalization beyond the level observed in nonaggressive male mice. These results suggest that BSTMP neurons in mice may increase AVP-Fos colocalization selectively in response to affiliation-related stimuli, similar to findings in finches. In contrast, virtually all other cell groups were responsive to negative aspects of interaction, either through elevated AVP-Fos colocalization in subordinate animals, positive correlations of AVP-Fos colocalization with bites received, and/or negative correlations of AVP-Fos colocalization with dominance. These findings greatly expand what is known of the contributions of specific brain AVP cell groups to social behavior.