Roles of oxytocin in the control of active coping behaviors

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03419
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 48020:Physiology-related
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Onaka Tatsushi 自治医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90177254)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: オキシトシン / ストレス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In hostile situations of social defeat stress, oxytocin-producing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus were suggested to facilitate social defeat posture, an active coping behavior. In affiliative situations, oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in different brain regions were activated in parallel with affiliative behaviors. All these data suggest that distinct oxytocin systems play a role in active coping behaviors both in hostile and affiliative situations.

Free Research Field

生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

状況に応じて適切な積極的社会的対処行動をとることは、社会を構成する動物にとって重要なことである。本研究の結果から、視床下部オキシトシンニューロンと様々な領域のオキシトシン受容体発現ニューロンが、積極的な対処行動を促進させていることが示唆された。本研究は社会を構成するための積極的な対処行動を支える生物学的基盤を明らかにするだけでなく、社会的行動に障害をきたす疾患の治療に資する基盤的知見を提供する。