Citation

Sandhu KV, Demiray YE, Yanagawa Y, Stork O. Horm. Behav. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany. Electronic address: oliver.stork@ovgu.de.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104637

PMID

31783026

Abstract

Phytoestrogens comprise biologically active constituents of human and animal diet that can impact on systemic and local estrogen functions in the brain. Here we report on the importance of dietary phytoestrogens for maintaining activity in a brain circuit controlling aggressive and social behavior of male mice. After six weeks of low-phytoestrogen chronic diet (diadzein plus genistein <20 μg/g) a reduction of intermale aggression and altered territorial marking behavior could be observed, compared to littermates on a standard soy-bean based diet (300 μg/g). Further, mice on low-phyto diet displayed a decrease in sociability and a reduced preference for social odors, indicating a general disturbance of social behavior. Underlying circuits were investigated by analysing the induction of the activity marker c-Fos upon social encounter. Low-phyto diet led to a markedly reduced c-Fos induction in the medial as well as the cortical amygdala, the lateral septum, medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. No difference between groups was observed in the olfactory bulb. Together our data suggest that dietary phytoestrogens critically modulate social behavior circuits in the male mouse brain.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Aggression; Immunohistochemistry; Male mouse; Medial amygdala; Phytoestrogens; Social interaction; c-Fos