Oxytocin–dopamine interactions mediate variations in maternal behavior in the rat
Open accessAbstract
Variations in maternal behavior among lactating rats associate with differences in estrogen-oxytocin interactions in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (nAcc). Thus, stable, individual differences in pup licking/grooming (LG) are abolished by oxytocin receptor blockade or treatments that eliminate differences in the nAcc dopamine signal. We provide novel evidence for a direct effect of oxytocin at the level of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the regulation of nAcc dopamine levels. Mothers that exhibit consistently increased pup LG (i.e. high LG mothers) by comparison with low LG mothers show increased oxytocin expression in the mPOA and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and increased projections of oxytocin-positive cells from both mPOA and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to the VTA. Direct infusion of oxytocin into the VTA increased the dopamine signal in the nAcc. Finally, high compared with low LG mothers show greater increases in dopamine signal in the nAcc during bouts of pup LG, and this difference is abolished with infusions of an oxytocin receptor antagonist directly into the VTA. These studies reveal a direct effect of oxytocin on dopamine release within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system and are consistent with previous reports of oxytocin-dopamine interactions in the establishment and maintenance of social bonds.
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Following birth, activity in the mesolimbic dopamine system drives continuous interactions with offspring, including retrieval, licking, and grooming of pups.
“Following birth, activity in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system drives continuous interactions with offspring, including retrieval, licking, and grooming of pups [29,30].”
From The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives (2023) · cites this paper as [30]
In “Differences between high and low” (page unavailable), the paper links mesolimbic dopamine activity to mother–pup interactions and says nucleus accumbens dopamine might mediate pup licking/grooming and likely retrieval. The citing sentence overstates this qualified account by saying dopamine activity drives continuous interactions; the paper does not establish that the interactions are continuous. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn Long-Evans rats, an intra-VTA infusion of OXT increased DA release in the NAc of virgin females, whereas an OXTR antagonist significantly decreased DA release in the NAc of lactating females.
“In Long-Evans rats, an intra-VTA infusion of OXT increased DA release in the NAc of virgin females, whereas an OXTR antagonist significantly decreased DA release in the NAc of lactating females”
From Convergence of oxytocin and dopamine signalling in neuronal circuits: Insights into the neurobiology of social interactions across species (2024) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
The Animals and maternal behavior section identifies the rats as Long-Evans, and Fig. 3 reports increased nucleus accumbens dopamine signals after intra-VTA oxytocin infusion in virgin females. The results section reports that intra-VTA oxytocin receptor antagonist significantly attenuated licking/grooming-related dopamine increases in high-LG lactating mothers, but had no effect in low-LG mothers. The claim omits that limitation and makes the antagonist result sound general to lactating females. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMaternal rats exhibiting high levels of pup licking and grooming behavior tend to exhibit larger increases in dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens as a result of grooming their pups relative to their low licking and grooming counterparts.
“Maternal rats exhibiting high levels of pup licking and grooming behavior tend to exhibit larger increases in dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens as a result of grooming their pups relative to their low licking and grooming counterparts (Shahrokh et al., 2010, Champagne et al., 2004).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
Oxytocin infusions into the VTA can enhance dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens.
“utilizing in vivo voltammetry, Shahrokh and colleagues demonstrated that oxytocin infusions into the VTA could enhance dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (Shahrokh et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
Mother rats displaying high levels of pup grooming behavior show an increased number of oxytocinergic projections from the PVN to the VTA relative to rats exhibiting low levels of pup grooming behavior.
“Mother rats displaying high levels of pup grooming behavior show an increased number oxytocinergic projections from the PVN to the VTA relative to rats exhibiting low levels of pup grooming behavior (Shahrokh et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
Oxytocin receptor levels within areas such as the medial preoptic area, nucleus accumbens, VTA and amygdala differ between rats displaying varying levels of maternal behavior, with increased maternal behavior being associated with higher oxytocin receptor concentrations.
“Similarly, oxytocin receptor levels within areas such as the medial preoptic area, nucleus accumbens, VTA and amygdala differ between rats displaying varying levels of maternal behavior, with increased maternal behavior being associated with higher oxytocin receptor concentrations (Francis et al., 2000, Shahrokh et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
Increases in dopaminergic concentrations in the nucleus accumbens induced by pup grooming among the maternal rats that demonstrate the highest levels of this behavior could be inhibited through administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist into the VTA.
“they observed that increases in dopaminergic concentrations in the nucleus accumbens induced by pup grooming among the maternal rats that demonstrate the highest levels of this behavior could be inhibited through administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist into the VTA (Shahrokh et al., 2010).”
From Oxytocin, motivation and the role of dopamine (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
Stable individual differences in rat maternal licking/grooming of pups were abolished by OT receptor blockade mediated by the direct effect of OT on dopamine release within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system (Shahrokh et al., 2010).
“For example, stable, individual differences in rat maternal licking/grooming of pups were abolished by OT receptor blockade mediated by the direct effect of OT on dopamine release within the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system (Shahrokh et al., 2010).”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Shahrokh et al., 2010
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References 67 · Cited by 366
- Authors
- Shahrokh, D. K., Zhang, T.-Y., Diorio, J., Gratton, A., & Meaney, M. J.
- Affiliations
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology at McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada H4H 1R3
- Corresponding author
- Meaney, Michael J.
- ORCID
- Meaney, Michael J.
- Venue
- Endocrinology
- Publisher
- The Endocrine Society
- Published
- 2010-03-12
- Volume
- 151
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 2276-2286
- ISSN
- 0013-7227 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7170
- PMC
- PMC2869254
- OpenAlex
- W2145936102
- Cited by
- 366
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 33.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- McGill University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- oxytocin, dopamine, maternal behavior, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, medial preoptic area, paraventricular nucleus, oxytocin receptor, mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, lactating rats, individual differences, social bonding
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Dopamine, Female, Grooming, Male, Maternal Behavior, Nucleus Accumbens, Oxytocics, Oxytocin, Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus, Preoptic Area, Signal Transduction, Ventral Tegmental Area, Receptors, Oxytocin, Rats, Long-Evans, Rats
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