Gonadal steroids influence the involvement of arginine vasopressin in social recognition in mice

Observations of mice in these settings have shown that exposure to an unfamiliar stranger typically evokes a period of intense social sniffing, which may be followed by escalating aggressive responses or sexual behavior, dependent upon such factors as age and sex of the unfamiliar conspecific.

“Observations of mice in these settings have shown that exposure to an unfamiliar stranger typically evokes a period of intense social sniffing, which may be followed by escalating aggressive responses or sexual behavior, dependent upon such factors as age and sex of the unfamiliar conspecific (Bluthe et al. 1993;Kogan et al. 2000;Winslow & Camacho 1995).”

Previous work in social recognition has shown that mice show both habituation of olfactory responses directed toward an unfamiliar conspecific, and dishabituation, with a reinstatement of social sniffing, when a novel stimulus animal is presented.

“Previous work in social recognition has shown that mice show both habituation of olfactory responses directed toward an unfamiliar conspecific, and dishabituation, with a reinstatement of social sniffing, when a novel stimulus animal is presented (Bluthe et al. 1993;Dluzen & Kreutzberg 1993;Ferguson et al. 2000;Kogan et al. 2000;Winslow & Camacho 1995).”

Methods are based on procedures examining pair-bonding in voles and other tests for social behavior in rodents.

“Methods are based on procedures examining pair-bonding in voles (Dean, S.M. & Vandenbergh, J.G. as above), as well as many other elegant tests for social behavior in rodents (Bluthe et al. 1993;Carter et al. 1995;Dluzen & Kreutzberg 1993;Gheusi et al. 1994;Insel and Young 2001;Kogan et al. 2000;Winslow & Camacho 1995;Winslow 2003).”

Social discrimination is a complex behavior, and several other signaling molecules have been shown to play a role in social discrimination, including oxytocin and arginine vasopressin.

“social discrimination is a complex behavior, and several other signaling molecules have been shown to play a role in social discrimination, including oxytocin [35–37] and arginine vasopressin [24, 38–40].”

Some studies have shown effects of testosterone on long-term social recognition in rats.

“some studies have shown effects of testosterone on long-term social recognition in rats [20, 21]”

Early studies suggested that female and castrated male rats hold social memories for longer time than intact males.

“Additionally, early studies suggested that female and castrated male rats hold social memories for longer time than intact males [21, 31].”