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Neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying female aggression

Reference	BB/C516428/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Simone Meddle
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Edinburgh
Department	Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	253,822
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/05/2005
End date	30/04/2008
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Childbirth is a potent cause of psychiatric disorders in women; perhaps more than any other lifetime event, it causes significant changes in a womens physiology and psychology. Following childbirth some mothers experience mood lability and increases in aggressive behaviour and irritability are common. In males there is compelling evidence that central vasopressin release facilitates aggression. If vasopressin fulfils a similar role in females, and since female rats are only aggressive during lactation, this change in behaviour may reflect the observed vasopressin system upregulation at this time. Using the rat model, we will test the hypothesis that changes in vasopressin receptor distribution and vasopressin innervation govern aggressive behaviour. We will evoke aggression in lactating rats by exposing them to a conspecific. We will measure central vasopressin release by microdialysis in identified brain areas during aggressive behaviour and quantify aggressive behaviour following intracranial microinfusions of selective vasopressin antagonists and agonists. Changes in vasopressin receptor genes (V1a and V1b) expression from pregnancy through lactation will be measured by in situ hybridisation. Following aggressive encounters, the brain regions involved will be identified by immunocytochemical detection of immediate early gene expression, and neurones in these regions will be immunocytochemically labelled for the presence of vasopressin receptor. We will be able to identify vasopressin neurones directly within the rat brain by using transgenic rats that express a novel vasopressin green fluorescent protein fusion gene.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Neuroscience and Behaviour
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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