Effects of neonatal oxytocin manipulations on male reproductive potential in prairie voles
Open accessAbstract
Oxytocin (OT) modulates adult mammalian sexual behavior, sperm production and transport, and steroidogenesis; however, the consequences of developmental manipulations of oxytocin have received little attention. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether neonatal exposure to OT, an oxytocin antagonist (OTA), saline (SAL), or handling (HAN)-only would have long-term effects on reproductive potential in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Adult males were observed for 24 h with a sexually receptive female and sexual behavior was recorded. Females were subsequently lavaged and smears were examined for sperm. Reproductive parameters including motility of epididymal sperm, testis weight, and plasma androgen levels were in the normal range. OT-treated males that did not mate within the first 30 min did not mate at all, and in comparison to controls, a higher proportion of those OT-treated and OTA-treated males that did mate did not transfer sperm to the females. OTA-treated males also had significantly higher testicular sperm concentrations than HAN-only males, and significantly lower epididymal sperm concentrations. These differences suggest that in males, developmental manipulations of OT may have the potential to influence the subsequent expression of sexual behavior and sperm transport.
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After single developmental manipulations of the oxytocin system, male prairie voles appear more responsive to lower doses of oxytocin, which induce changes in partner preference, sexual behavior and reproductive potential, responses to infants, and AVP receptors.
“Single developmental manipulations of the OT system males appear to be more responsive to lower doses of OT which induce changes in partner preference (20,35), sexual behavior and reproductive potential (36), responses to infants (37), and AVP receptors (38).”
From Chronic intranasal oxytocin causes long-term impairments in partner preference formation in male prairie voles (2013) · cites this paper as [36]
Studies in numerous species provide converging evidence that oxytocin during development can have permanent effects on the brain and behavior.
“Yet, in the last 12 years, there has been a resurgence of research in this area, with studies in numerous species providing converging evidence that Oxt during development can have permanent effects on the brain and behavior (3, 13–29) (see Table 1).”
From Oxytocin during Development: Possible Organizational Effects on Behavior (2015) · cites this paper as [17]
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References 56 · Cited by 47
- Authors
- BALES, K., ABDELNABI, M., CUSHING, B., OTTINGER, M., & CARTER, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Corresponding author
- BALES, K
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-05
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 519-526
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2029797151
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P01 HD 38490, P01HD038490, F32 HD08702, F32HD008702)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
- Keywords
- oxytocin antagonist, Microtus ochrogaster, male reproductive potential, sexual behavior, sperm transport, epididymal sperm, handling, androgens, mating success
- MeSH terms
- Androgens, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Body Weight, Arvicolinae, Epididymis, Female, Male, Organ Size, Oxytocin, Pair Bond, Reproduction, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Social Behavior, Sperm Motility, Testis
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