| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The social behavior in rodents is regulated by the hypothalamus through sensory signals from chemosensory organs. In the hypothalamus, a neuropeptide, oxytocin, has been shown to mediate the regulation of social behavior. In this study, we examine sociosexual behavior in mice deficient for oxytocin gene (OTKO mice). Alternative choice test for conspecific odors revealed that OTKO mice showed a lack of preference for opposite-sex odor. In addition, OTKO deteriorated accept of male mouse in sexually naïve females, while OTKO did not affect male sexual behavior. We also tested for olfactory preference in female rats for pup odors. The experiment demonstrated that lower responsiveness to pup in virgin females than that of multiparous females was due to lower responsiveness of oxytocin neurons. Administration of oxytocin modified olfactory preference for pup in virgin females.
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