Cited by 416Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorStress Responses and CortisolNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Naturally Occurring Differences in Maternal Care are Associated with the Expression of Oxytocin and Vasopressin (V1a) Receptors: Gender Differences

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Francis, D. D., Young, L. J., Meaney, M. J., Insel, T. R.·2002·Journal of Neuroendocrinology

Abstract

Variations in maternal care have been associated with long‐term changes in neurochemistry and behaviour in adult rats. Rats receiving high levels of licking and grooming as pups are less fearful and more maternal than rats receiving low levels of maternal licking and grooming. Central pathways for oxytocin and vasopressin have been implicated in the neurobiology of anxiety and social behaviours. We assessed whether variations in maternal care were associated with differences in oxytocin receptors (OTR) or vasopressin (V1a) receptors in the brains of adult offspring. In the central nucleus of the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, OTR binding was increased in adult females, but not adult males, that had received high levels of maternal licking and grooming as pups. Conversely, amygdala V1a receptor binding was increased in males, but not females, that had received high levels of maternal licking and grooming. These findings suggest that variations in maternal care may influence the expression of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in a gender‐specific manner.

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Crossref · 10.1046/j.0007-1331.2002.00776.x

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  • Animal studies show that early stressors result in long-term changes in peptides such as oxytocin that regulate pair bonding and social attachment.

    “Animal studies show that early stressors result in long-term changes in peptides such as oxytocin that regulate pair bonding and social attachment (Insel and Winslow 1998; Francis 2002).”

    From The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology (2006) · cites this paper as Francis 2002

    The Discussion (p. 4) reports that differences in maternal care in rats were associated with lasting, sex-specific differences in oxytocin and vasopressin receptor binding in adult offspring. It does not establish that early stressors cause changes in the peptides themselves, or that the measured changes regulate pair bonding and social attachment. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The amygdala has a sexually dimorphic distribution and expression of oxytocin receptors in nonprimate mammals.

    “The amygdala has a sexually dimorphic distribution and expression of OXT receptors in nonprimate mammals (12, 13)”

    From Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them (2016) · cites this paper as [13]

  • Parental OT and the amount of parenting behavior the infant receives shape the organization of OT receptors in the infant's brain and its ensuing lifetime effects on social adaptation.

    “parental OT and the amount of parenting behavior the infant receives shape the organization of OT receptors in the infant's brain and its ensuing lifetime effects on social adaptation (7,8).”
  • Oxytocin signaling is important for normal displays of alloparental care.

    “Thus, it appears that Oxt signaling is important for normal displays of alloparental care, which is consistent with its role in lowering the threshold for maternal care in rodents (53–56).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. 1 Liu D, Tannenbaum B, Caldji C, Francis D, Freedman A, Sharma S, Pearson D, Plotsky PM, Meaney MJ. Maternal care, hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor gene expression and hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal responses to stress. Science 1997; 277: 1659-1662.
  2. 3 Francis D, Diorio J, Liu D, Meaney MJ. Variations in maternal care form the basis for a non-genomic mechanism of inter-generational transmission of individual differences in behavioral and endocrine responses to stress. Science 1999; 286: 1155-1158.
  3. 12 Uvnas-Moberg K. Oxytocin may mediate the benefits of positive social interaction and emotions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1998; 23: 819-835.

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Authors
Francis, D. D., Young, L. J., Meaney, M. J., & Insel, T. R.
Affiliations
  • Emory University (US)
  • Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
Corresponding author
Francis, D. D.
Venue
Journal of Neuroendocrinology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2002-05
Volume
14
Issue
5
Pages
349-353
ISSN
  • 0953-8194 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2826
OpenAlex
W1511351296
Cited by
415
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 21
FWCI
26.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
maternal care, oxytocin receptor, vasopressin V1a receptor, gender differences, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, anxiety, social behavior, early life experience
MeSH terms
Animals, Autoradiography, Female, Male, Maternal Behavior, Sex Characteristics, Vasopressins, Vasotocin, Receptors, Vasopressin, Receptors, Oxytocin, Rats, Long-Evans, Rats

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