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The capacity to develop maternal behavior is enhanced during aging in rats.

D E Gonzalez1, R P Deis

  • 1Laboratorio de Reproduccion y Lactancia (LARLAC)-CRICYT, Mendoza, Argentina.

Neurobiology of Aging
|May 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Aged female rats exhibit enhanced maternal behavior (MB) compared to young rats, with immediate responsiveness. This suggests prolonged hormonal stimulation, not age itself, influences maternal instincts in rats.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Maternal behavior (MB) is crucial for offspring survival.
  • Aging can impact complex social behaviors, including MB.
  • Hormonal influences on MB in aged female rats remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate MB induction in aged female and male rats.
  • To compare maternal responsiveness in aged versus young rats.
  • To explore the role of hormonal status and neonatal androgenization in aged MB.

Main Methods:

  • Studied maternal responsiveness to pups in aged (19-20 months) and young (3-4 months) virgin female rats, neonatally androgenized females, and males.
  • Compared MB in cyclic, androgenized, and ovariectomized rats (acute and chronic).

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  • Administered estrogen treatment to chronically ovariectomized aged rats.

    • Main Results:

    • Aged female rats (normal and androgenized) showed high immediate MB, surpassing young rats.
    • Chronic ovariectomy abolished MB, while acute ovariectomy did not.
    • Estrogen treatment failed to fully restore MB in chronically ovariectomized aged rats.
    • Aged male rats showed no difference from young males but less MB than aged females, indicating age-related sex differences in MB.

    Conclusions:

    • High MB and rapid responsiveness in aged female rats likely result from prolonged estrogen and/or prolactin exposure.
    • Age-related changes in MB are influenced by hormonal history and sex.
    • Neonatal androgenization does not prevent the age-related enhancement of MB in female rats.