TY - JOUR
T1 - Behavioral and histochemical characterization of sexually dimorphic responses to acute social isolation and reunion in mice
AU - Fukumitsu, Kansai
AU - Kuroda, Kumi O.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - In many mammalian species, females exhibit higher sociability and gregariousness than males, presumably due to the benefit of group living for maternal care. We have previously reported that adult female mice exhibit contact-seeking behaviors upon acute social isolation via amylin-calcitonin receptor (Calcr) signaling in the medial preoptic area (MPOA). In this study, we examined the sex differences in the behavioral responses to acute social isolation and reunion, and the levels of amylin and Calcr expression in the MPOA. We found that male mice exhibited significantly less contact-seeking upon social isolation. Upon reunion, male mice contacted each other to a similar extent as females, but their interactions were more aggressive and less affiliative compared with females. While Calcr-expressing neurons were activated during social contacts in males as in females, the amylin and Calcr expression were significantly lower in males than in females. Together with our previous findings, these findings suggested that the lower expression of both amylin and Calcr may explain the lower contact-seeking and social affiliation of male mice.
AB - In many mammalian species, females exhibit higher sociability and gregariousness than males, presumably due to the benefit of group living for maternal care. We have previously reported that adult female mice exhibit contact-seeking behaviors upon acute social isolation via amylin-calcitonin receptor (Calcr) signaling in the medial preoptic area (MPOA). In this study, we examined the sex differences in the behavioral responses to acute social isolation and reunion, and the levels of amylin and Calcr expression in the MPOA. We found that male mice exhibited significantly less contact-seeking upon social isolation. Upon reunion, male mice contacted each other to a similar extent as females, but their interactions were more aggressive and less affiliative compared with females. While Calcr-expressing neurons were activated during social contacts in males as in females, the amylin and Calcr expression were significantly lower in males than in females. Together with our previous findings, these findings suggested that the lower expression of both amylin and Calcr may explain the lower contact-seeking and social affiliation of male mice.
KW - Aggression
KW - Amylin
KW - Calcitonin receptor
KW - Medial preoptic area
KW - Social isolation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153109023&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85153109023&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.001
DO - 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 37030575
AN - SCOPUS:85153109023
SN - 0168-0102
VL - 194
SP - 36
EP - 43
JO - Neuroscience Research
JF - Neuroscience Research
ER -