Effects of adolescent social stress on adult social behavior

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K08573
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Takayanagi Yuki 自治医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (10418890)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: オキシトシン / 社会行動 / ストレス / 思春期 / 遊び

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have shown that deprivation of social play behavior in adolescent rats leads to impaired social behavior in adult rats. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that this phenomenon is related to plastic dysfunction of oxytocin neural circuits. In this study, we generated genetically modified rats to identify the oxytocin neural circuits activated by social play behavior and manipulate their activities. Since oxytocin receptor-deficient rats showed no abnormalities in social play behavior during adolescence and social behavior after maturation, we are verifying the roles of oxytocin-synthesizing neurons by selective ablation of these neurons.

Free Research Field

生理学、神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幼少期の経験により成熟後の社会行動が制御される神経機序についてはこれまでほとんど明らかになっていない。本研究では、この現象に関連する可能性が高いオキシトシン神経回路を同定・阻害・活動操作する手法を確立した。この神経機序の同定は、社会行動の障害を成熟後に改善する手法の開発につながる。また、本研究で作製した遺伝子改変動物は他のオキシトシン関連研究においても利用出来るため学術的に有用である。