Uterine distention facilitates the onset of maternal behavior in pseudopregnant but not in cycling rats

The latency to onset of maternal behavior toward foster pups was examined in maternally-naive female rats treated either with uterine distention, a sham procedure, or no uterine manipulation. Uterine distention was achieved by intrauterine injection of hypertonic saline. The treatments were applied...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysiology & behavior Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 133
Main Authors Graber, G C, Kristal, M B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.07.1977
Subjects
Animals
Female
Maternal Behavior - physiology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Animal - physiology
Progesterone - physiology
Pseudopregnancy - physiopathology
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Uterine Contraction - physiology
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Summary:The latency to onset of maternal behavior toward foster pups was examined in maternally-naive female rats treated either with uterine distention, a sham procedure, or no uterine manipulation. Uterine distention was achieved by intrauterine injection of hypertonic saline. The treatments were applied to either cycling, Day 10 pseudopregnant, or Day 11 pseudopregnant-decidualized virgins. The latency to onset of maternal behavior for both pseudopregnant groups was significantly shorter than that for the nonpseudopregnant group, when uterine distention was applied. The results suggest that uterine distention during pregnancy (during high progesterone level) may bring about both pregnancy termination (delivery) and the almost immediate maternal behavior seen at parturition, by the same hormonal mechanism.
ISSN:0031-9384
DOI:10.1016/0031-9384(77)90170-6