Modulation of nociception by social bonds in monogamous rodents.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08672
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Pain science
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Yuri Kazunari 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系基礎医学部門, 教授 (10220534)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大迫 洋治 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系基礎医学部門, 准教授 (40335922)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NISHIHARA Makoto 愛知医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60380325)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 情動 / 社会性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Partner-loss males of socially monogamous rodents showed increased anxiety-like behaviors in the open field test, low threshold of mechanical stimulus in von Frey tests and thermal stimulus in plantar test as compared to paired males. Furthermore, there was a correlation between anxiety-like behaviors and pain-related behaviors. The pain-related brain regions in partner-loss males showed decreased of Fos immunoreactivity during formalin-induced inflammatory pain as compared to paired ones, especially in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. In addition, Fos expression in oxytocin neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus also decreased, suggesting that the response of brain oxytocin to the pain stimulus reduced under partner-loss condition.
Together, partner loss elicits anxiety-like behaviors and alters pain-related behaviors and brain oxytocin system may be involved in neural processes underlying the pain modulation by social bonds in monogamous rodents.

Free Research Field

神経解剖学