Citation

Bayerl DS, Klampfl SM, Bosch OJ. J. Neuroendocrinol. 2019; e12709.

Affiliation

Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center for Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jne.12709

PMID

30882966

Abstract

Gonadotropin releasing-hormone (GnRH) is a major regulator and activator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Many studies proved the importance of GnRH in reproduction and sexual behaviour. However, to date only a single study shows an involvement of GnRH in maternal behaviour where a 30% reduction of GnRH neurons abolishes the mothers' motivation to retrieve pups. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the effects of acute central GnRH 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 GnRH antagonist ([D-Phe^2,6 ,Pro³ ]-LHRH; 0.5 ng / 5 μl) impaired the mothers' attack behaviour against a female intruder rat during the maternal defence test compared to vehicle controls. However, different to the previous study on reduced GnRH neurons, acute central GnRH antagonism did not affect pup retrieval nor any other parameter of maternal behaviour or maternal anxiety. Taken together, GnRH receptor activation is mandatory for protection of the offspring. These findings shed new light on GnRH as a neuropeptide not exclusively acting on the reproductive axis, but additionally on maternal behaviour including pup retrieval and maternal aggression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

LHRH antagonist; maternal aggression; maternal anxiety; maternal care; maternal motivation