Effects of neonatal oxytocin manipulation on development of social behaviors in mice
Abstract
The oxytocin (OT) neural system is thought to be involved in the underlying mechanisms that guide the development of social behaviors. In the present study, we examined the effects of neonatal oxytocin manipulation in mice. Within 24 hours after birth, pups in the treatment group randomly received an intraperitoneal injection of OT or OT antagonist (OTA), and those in the control group received a saline injection or handling only. Some of these mice underwent a test that counted the number of isolation-induced ultrasound vocalizations they made on postnatal day 6, and they were further tested for sociability at 8-9 weeks of age and for neuroendocrine stress response to novel environments at 19-20 weeks of age. Another group of mice was tested for alloparental responsiveness at 13-15 weeks of age. The OT injection affected sociability and alloparental responsiveness. In an approach/avoidance test, most of the mice made a social approach to an unfamiliar conspecific of the same sex, but females that had received a neonatal injection of 3 μg of OTA did not show this response. The neonatal OTA treatment appeared to inhibit females' sociability in a dose-dependent fashion. In a retrieving test, females that had received a neonatal injection of 3 μg of OT retrieved significantly more pups than did those that had received 3 μg of OTA, although neither of the treatments caused the females to behave significantly differently from control group females. Meanwhile, a neonatal injection of 3 μg of OTA increased the latency to retrieve pups in males. These results suggested that neonatal OT action may positively regulate alloparental responsiveness in adulthood. Considering that the organizational effects of OT have also been shown in voles and rats, the mechanism by which neonatal OT modifies the development of social behaviors appears to be common to all rodents.
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Neonatal OTR blockade reduced social approach behavior in female, but not male, ICR mice.
“although neonatal OTR blockade reduced social approach behavior in female, but not male, ICR mice”
From Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior (2016) · cites this paper as Mogi et al., 2014
Neonatal OTR blockade decreased alloparental care in male, but not female, adult ICR mice.
“This effect was also found in male, but not female, adult ICR mice”
From Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior (2016) · cites this paper as Mogi et al., 2014
Neonatal oxytocin treatment modifies the development of social behavior resulting in a reduction of alloparenting, and treatment during puberty reduces social play behavior, both effects occurring only in female.
“Indeed, neonatal oxytocin treatment modifies the development of social behavior resulting in a reduction of alloparenting (Mogi et al., 2014) and treatment during puberty reduces social play behavior (Bredewold et al., 2014). Both these effects occur only in female.”
From Oxytocin neurons mediate the effect of social isolation via the VTA circuits (2022) · cites this paper as Mogi et al., 2014
Male mice administered an oxytocin receptor antagonist on postnatal day 0 display social approach behaviors similar to controls.
“On the other hand, male mice administered an OTA on PND0 display social approach behaviors similar to what is observed in the control conditions (29).”
From Oxytocin during Development: Possible Organizational Effects on Behavior (2015) · cites this paper as [29]
Female mice administered an oxytocin receptor antagonist (3 μg/20 μL) on the day of birth have decreases in social approach when tested at 8-15 weeks.
“Female mice administered an OTA (3 μg/20 μL) on the day of birth have decreases in social approach when tested at 8–15 weeks (29)”
From Oxytocin during Development: Possible Organizational Effects on Behavior (2015) · cites this paper as [29]
In laboratory mice, treatment with an oxytocin receptor antagonist on postnatal day 0 decreases the total number of pups retrieved by females and increases pup retrieval latencies in males.
“Specifically, treatment with an OTA on PND0 decreases the total number of pups retrieved by females and increases pup retrieval latencies in males (29).”
From Oxytocin during Development: Possible Organizational Effects on Behavior (2015) · cites this paper as [29]
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“This effect was also found in male, but not female, adult ICR mice (Mogi et al., 2014), although neonatal OTR blockade reduced social approach behavior in female, but not male, ICR mice (Mogi et al., 2014).”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Mogi, K., Ooyama, R., Nagasawa, M., & Kikusui, T.
- Affiliations
- Azabu University (JP)
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-06
- Volume
- 133
- Pages
- 68-75
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1964141019
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 5.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (26292167, 26450433)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- oxytocin antagonist, social behavior development, sociability, stress response, sex differences, organizational effects
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Corticosterone, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Escape Reaction, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred ICR, Oxytocin, Sex Factors, Social Behavior, Vasotocin, Vocalization, Animal, Mice
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