Vasopressin mediates enhanced offspring protection in multiparous rats

Maternal aggression is highly expressed during lactation and serves to protect the developing young from intruders that may injure the offspring. One neurochemical modulator of maternal aggression appears to be arginine vasopressin (AVP). Earlier research supports a role for AVP in maternal aggression in rats as treatment with an AVP antagonist in lactating, primiparous rats stimulates the mother's aggression towards intruders the second half of lactation, but AVP itself was without major effects during early lactation. Recent behavioral findings indicate that during a second lactation (multiparous) mothers display higher levels of maternal aggression than do first time mothers (primiparous). The present study was designed to assess the involvement of AVP as mothers acquire reproductive experience. Therefore, the involvement of AVP in maternal aggression in multiparous mothers was measured after intracerebroventricular (ICV) treatment with both AVP and a V1a receptor antagonist. Behavior was assessed during early lactation when aggression levels are very high in multiparous mothers as well as during late lactation when aggression levels are lower. The results demonstrated that ICV infusions of AVP significantly reduced maternal aggression in multiparous females on day 5 of lactation, whereas V1a antagonist infusions increased aggression on day 15 of lactation. These findings suggest that the role of AVP in maternal aggression may be amplified as reproductive/lactational experiences increase, and support the involvement of the central AVP system as a key modulator of maternal protection of the young.