Effects of pair bonding on parental behavior and dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens in male prairie voles

• Published in: The European journal of neuroscience Vol. 46; no. 7; pp. 2276 - 2284
• Main Authors: Lei, K., Liu, Y., Smith, A. S., Lonstein, J. S., Wang, Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2017
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Arvicolinae; D1R; Dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine D1 receptors; Dopamine receptors; Female; Grooming; Male; Males; Microdialysis; Microtus ochrogaster; Nesting Behavior; Nucleus accumbens; Nucleus Accumbens - metabolism; Nucleus Accumbens - physiology; Pair Bond; pair bonding; Parental behavior; Paternal behavior; Receptors, Dopamine D1 - metabolism; Rodents; pair bonding; paternal behavior; nucleus accumbens; D1R; dopamine
• ISSN: 0953-816X; 1460-9568
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13673

Male parental care is a vital behavior for the development as well as the physical and mental well‐being of the young. However, little is known about the neurochemical regulation of male parental behavior, mainly due to the lack of appropriate animal models. In this study, we used the socially monogamous male prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) to investigate the effect of pair‐bonding experience on paternal behavior and dopamine (DA) signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in the brain. We compared sexually naïve males with males that were pair bonded with a female for two weeks. Our data showed that pair‐bonded males displayed enhanced paternal behavior, particularly in pup licking/grooming, associated with increased DA type‐1 receptor (D1R) protein expression in the NAcc, compared to sexually naïve males. Site‐specific brain microdialysis revealed a significant, but transient, increase in DA release in the NAcc associated with pup exposure in both groups of the males. Further, pharmacological blockade of D1R in the NAcc decreased pup licking/grooming in the pair‐bonded males. Together, our data demonstrate that pair‐bonding experience with a female facilitated male parental behavior via NAcc D1R mediation in male prairie voles. We studied paternal behavior in male prairie voles (M. ochrogaster). Compared to sexually naïve (SN) males, males that were paired‐bonded with a female for 2‐weeks (PB) showed enhanced pup licking/grooming associated with increased dopamine D1‐type receptor (D1R) expression in the NAcc. Pup exposure induced a transient increase in dopamine release in the NAcc, and intra‐NAcc administration of a D1R antagonist at 3.0µg diminished pup licking/grooming.