Maternal behavior female rats

Del Cerro M., Chirino R Mayer A.D. and Rosenblatt J.S. (1995). Sex-differences in sensitisation latencies in maternal behavior induced in male and female rats after vomeronasal organ removal. Dev Psychobiol 28, 183 abs. 

Fos-like immunoreactivity in the MPOA and lateral preoptic area (LPOA) is associated with maternal behavior in both virgin female rats exposed to pups and lactating postpartum females (Numan and Numan, 1992). The observed induction of fos activity in the POA is likely partially due to the receipt of olfactory and ventral tactile and suckling-related sensory stimulation from pups. The POA also receives suckling-related sensory data related to lactation. However, because maternal behavior occurs in females who have been thelectomized (nipple removal) or olfactory bul-bectomized, a population of POA output cells exists that is essential for the performance of maternal duties in the absence of the usual sensory inputs (Numan, 1994). 

Bridges, R.S., Numan, M., Ronsheim, P.M., Mann, P.E., and Lupini, C.E. (1990) Central prolactin infusions stimulate maternal behavior in steroid-treated, nulliparous female rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87 8003-8007. 

Fleming, A.S., Vaccarino, E, and Luebke, C. (1980) Amygdaloid inhibition of maternal behavior in the nulliparous female rat. Physiol Behav 25 731-743. 

Numan, M. (1974) Medial preoptic area and maternal behavior in the female rat. Comp Physiol Psychol 87 746-759. 

Numan, M. and Numan, M.J. (1992) Maternal behavior in female rats is associated with increased numbers of Fos containing neurons in the medial preoptic area. Soc Neurosci Abstr 18 892. 

Numan, M., Numan, M.J., and English, J.B. (1993) Excitotoxic amino acid injections into the medial amygdala facilitate maternal behavior in virgin female rats. Horm Behav 27 56-81. 

Pedersen, C.A., Ascher, J.A., Monroe, Y.L., and Prange, A.J., Jr. (1982) Oxytocin induces maternal behavior in virgin female rats. Science 216 648-650. 

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