Social recognition does not involve vasopressinergic neurotransmission in female rats

Social recognition is the ability to recognize a previously investigated conspecific. This phenomenon has been shown to be modulated by androgen-dependent vasopressinergic transmission in intact but not in castrated male rats. The dependence of social recognition on vasopressinergic transmission was studied in female rats. In comparison to intact males, females showed less persistence in investigating juvenile conspecifics and held social memories for longer intervals. Social recognition was enhanced by peripheral injections of vasopressin (6 micrograms/kg) in both sexes. However, in contrast to what had been observed in males, social recognition in females was insensitive to the blocking effects of a vasopressor antagonist of vasopressin, dPTyr(Me)AVP (30 micrograms/kg, s.c.). These results suggest that social recognition is not mediated by vasopressinergic transmission in female rats.