Social status in pairs of male squirrel monkeys determines the behavioral response to central oxytocin administration
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Oxytocin, when administered centrally, has been associated with the modulation of various social initiatives including maternal and sexual behaviors. The nature of these effects depends on gonadal hormone status. In the present experiments, we investigated the effects of centrally administered oxytocin on the behavior of pair-housed male squirrel monkeys during interactions with a familiar female monkey. Pairs of male squirrel monkeys established reliable and persistent dominance relationships with dominant males showing increased sexual and aggressive behavior as well as higher plasma concentrations of testosterone. Oxytocin (0.1, 1.0 micrograms) increased the sexual and aggressive behavior of dominant monkeys without affecting these measures in the subordinate monkeys. In contrast to these effects in the dominant monkeys, oxytocin increased associative and marking behaviors only in subordinate monkeys. Central administration of the oxytocin receptor antagonis d(CH2)5 [Tyr(Me)2, Thr4,Tyr-NH2(9)] OVT (OTA; 0.05 microgram) had no intrinsic effect on behavior but blocked the effects of exogenous oxytocin. To investigate further the specificity of oxytocin's effects on social behavior, we administered the structurally related peptide arginine vasopressin under identical conditions. Vasopressin (0.5, 5.0 micrograms) decreased social behaviors and increased motor activity in both dominant and subordinate monkeys. Previous studies in rodents have demonstrated that oxytocin receptors are induced by gonadal steroids in a regionally specific fashion. The status-related behavioral effects of oxytocin in the squirrel monkey may reflect differences in brain oxytocin receptor density associated with the higher concentrations of testosterone in the dominant animal. Alternatively, the status-related effects may depend on the conditioned behavioral differences associated with social organization.
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Oxytocin has been shown to induce grooming and associative behaviors such as touch and huddling in rodents and monkeys.
“The evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has been shown to induce grooming and associative behaviors such as touch and huddling in rodents and monkeys (Dunbar, 2010; Winslow and Insel, 1991).”
From An oxytocin-induced facilitation of neural and emotional responses to social touch correlates inversely with autism traits (2014) · cites this paper as Winslow and Insel, 1991
In non-human primates, oxytocin increased social contact in subordinate males but not in dominant males.
“For example, in a study of non-human primates, oxytocin increased social contact in subordinate males but not in dominant males (Winslow and Insel, 1991).”
From Effects of adverse childhood experiences on the association between intranasal oxytocin and social stress reactivity among individuals with cocaine dependence (2015) · cites this paper as Winslow and Insel, 1991
In male squirrel monkeys, ventricular injection of OT enhances sexual and aggressive behaviors toward a familiar female monkey in dominant males who have high testosterone levels.
“In male squirrel monkeys, ventricular injection of OT enhances sexual and aggressive behaviors toward a familiar female monkey in dominant males who have high testosterone levels, but enhances affiliative behaviors like touching and huddling in subordinate males who have low testosterone levels (Winslow and Insel, 1991).”
From Oxytocin and social cognition in rhesus macaques: Implications for understanding and treating human psychopathology (2014) · cites this paper as Winslow and Insel, 1991
In male squirrel monkeys, ventricular injection of OT enhances affiliative behaviors like touching and huddling in subordinate males who have low testosterone levels.
“In male squirrel monkeys, ventricular injection of OT enhances sexual and aggressive behaviors toward a familiar female monkey in dominant males who have high testosterone levels, but enhances affiliative behaviors like touching and huddling in subordinate males who have low testosterone levels (Winslow and Insel, 1991).”
From Oxytocin and social cognition in rhesus macaques: Implications for understanding and treating human psychopathology (2014) · cites this paper as Winslow and Insel, 1991
Interactions between OT and gonadal steroids have been reported in monkeys.
“Interactions between OT and gonadal steroids have also been reported in monkeys as well.”
From Oxytocin and social cognition in rhesus macaques: Implications for understanding and treating human psychopathology (2014) · cites this paper as Winslow and Insel, 1991
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References 33 · Cited by 145
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Pliskin S, Johnson AE, Ball GF (1989) Changes in oxytocin binding Witt DM, Insel TR (199 1) A selective oxytocin antagonist attenuates are correlated with cyclic fluctuations in ovarian hormone levels. Sot progesterone facilitation of female sexual behavior. Endocrinology, Neurosci Abstr 15:435.13. in press.
- Authors
- Winslow, J., & Insel, T.
- Affiliations
- National Institute of Mental Health (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Society for Neuroscience
- Published
- 1991-07-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2032-2038
- ISSN
- 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
- 1529-2401
- PMC
- PMC6575463
- OpenAlex
- W2163308506
- Cited by
- 145
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 8.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- oxytocin, social status, dominance hierarchy, sexual behavior, aggression, testosterone, vasopressin, social behavior, gonadal hormones
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Animals, Arginine Vasopressin, Behavior, Animal, Male, Motor Activity, Oxytocin, Saimiri, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Social Behavior, Social Dominance, Testosterone, Receptors, Oxytocin, Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists
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