Premium
More than reproduction: Central gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonism decreases maternal aggression in lactating rats
Author(s) -
Bayerl Doris S.,
Klampfl Stefanie M.,
Bosch Oliver J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1111/jne.12709
Subject(s) - antagonism , medicine , endocrinology , reproduction , aggression , gonadotropin releasing hormone , gonadotropin , hormone , biology , receptor , luteinizing hormone , ecology , psychiatry
Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (Gn RH ) is a major regulator and activator of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of Gn RH in reproduction and sexual behaviour. However, to date, only a single study shows an involvement of Gn RH in maternal behaviour where a 30% reduction of Gn RH neurones abolishes a mother's motivation to retrieve pups. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the effects of acute central Gn RH receptor blockade in lactating rats on maternal care under non‐stress and stress conditions, maternal motivation in the pup retrieval test, maternal anxiety on the elevated plus maze, and maternal aggression in the maternal defence test. We found that acute central infusion of a Gn RH antagonist ([ d ‐Phe 2,6 ,Pro 3 ]‐ luteinising hormone‐releasing hormone ; 0.5 ng 5 μL ‐1 ) impaired a mother's attack behaviour against a female intruder rat during the maternal defence test compared to vehicle controls. However, in contrast to the previous study on reduced Gn RH neurones, acute central Gn RH antagonism did not affect pup retrieval, nor any other parameter of maternal behaviour or maternal anxiety. Taken together, Gn RH receptor activation is mandatory for protection of the offspring. These findings shed new light on Gn RH as a neuropeptide acting not exclusively on the reproductive axis but, additionally, on maternal behaviour including pup retrieval and maternal aggression.