Cited by 1,021Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorStress Responses and CortisolAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

Variations in maternal care in the rat as a mediating influence for the effects of environment on development

Champagne, Frances A, Francis, Darlene D, Mar, Adam, Meaney, Michael J·2003·Physiology & Behavior

Abstract

Variations in maternal care have been widely considered as a critical influence in development. In the rat, variations in maternal behavior, particularly in licking/grooming, regulate the development of endocrine, emotional and cognitive responses to stress. These studies form the basis of a potentially useful model for the study of maternal effects in mammals. In this paper we provide a detailed methodological investigation into this model of maternal behavior, providing an analysis of the frequency, temporal dynamics, and transmission of maternal licking/grooming in several large cohorts. Frequency data indicate that licking/grooming is normally distributed across dams. The peak in licking/grooming occurs in the first few days postpartum and gradually declines. Dams designated as High or Low LG mothers differ in this behavior only during the first week postpartum. Observations over Days 2 to 5 postpartum are essential for the reliable assessments of individual differences in maternal behavior. Individual differences in licking/grooming behavior are stable across multiple litters, and are not associated with differences in litter size, weaning weight of pups, or gender ratio of the litter. We also observed no significant differences in the amount of licking/grooming received by individual pups within a litter, though variation does exist. Finally, maternal licking/grooming is transmitted to female offspring, though there is considerable within-litter variation in the expression of this behavior. Overall, these findings indicate considerable, normal variations in licking/grooming in the rat that are a stable, individual characteristic of rat dams.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0031-9384(03)00149-5

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  • Research in rodents and other mammals has highlighted the importance of OT (on a background of changing levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy and labor) to facilitate the onset and maintenance of maternal behavior.

    “Research in rodents and other mammals has highlighted the importance of OT (on a background of changing levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy and labor) to facilitate the onset and maintenance of maternal behavior (Champagne et al., 2001; Champagne, 2008; Champagne et al., 2003; Insel and Young, 2001; Rosenblatt and Ceus, 1998).”

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Authors
Champagne, F. A., Francis, D. D., Mar, A., & Meaney, M. J.
Affiliations
Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
Corresponding author
Meaney, Michael J
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2003-08
Volume
79
Issue
3
Pages
359-371
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2110374066
Cited by
1,021
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 60 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 68 · 2014: 58 · 2013: 61 · 2012: 64
FWCI
37.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords
maternal behavior, intergenerational transmission, individual differences, postpartum behavior, litter size, pup weight, maternal effects, rat model
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Female, Grooming, Imprinting, Psychological, Individuality, Lactation, Litter Size, Maternal Behavior, Phenotype, Sex Factors, Rats, Long-Evans, Models, Animal, Rats

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