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Effects of a D2 receptor antagonist on repeated pair bond formation in the male prairie vole
Madison R Herschberger1, Allison M Perkeybile2
1Department of Biology, Indiana University, Biology Building, 1001 E. 3rd St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
Abstract:
Repeated formation and subsequent dissolution of romantic relationships is common in humans across a lifetime. The socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is used to study mechanisms of these bonds. At least in the laboratory, male prairie voles form bonds with a new female partner after loss of a previous partner. Initial bond formation depends on activation of dopamine D2-like receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Blocking activity of this receptor subtype disrupts formation of an animal's first pair bond. It is not known if these same D2-like receptors facilitate pair bonding with a subsequent partner after previous partner loss. This study examined the effects of D2-like receptor blockade on repeated pair bonding in male prairie voles. Males were paired with an initial female and allowed to mate before being separated. After a 5-day separation, males were then treated with either saline or eticlopride, a selective D2-receptor antagonist, prior to being paired with a second female and being allowed to mate. After a second separation, males were tested to determine if they developed a preference for spending time with their first or second mate. Eticlopride-treated males spent more time in a cage containing one of their previous partners compared to time in an empty cage but did not form a selective preference for either partner. Saline-treated males preferred their second, more recent partner. D2 receptor antagonism, then, disrupts bond formation in a second pairing but does not help to maintain a bond with the initial partner.
Insights
Dopamine D2-like receptors are crucial for forming new pair bonds in male prairie voles after partner loss. Blocking these receptors disrupts subsequent bond formation but does not affect initial bond maintenance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Repeated relationship formation and dissolution occur throughout human life.
- The prairie vole is a model organism for studying social monogamy and pair bonding mechanisms.
- Initial pair bond formation in male prairie voles relies on dopamine D2-like receptors in the nucleus accumbens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of dopamine D2-like receptors in repeated pair bond formation in male prairie voles.
- To determine if D2-like receptor blockade affects bonding with a subsequent partner after prior partner loss.
Main Methods:
- Male prairie voles were paired with an initial female, then separated.
- Following separation, males received either saline or eticlopride (a D2-receptor antagonist).
- Males were then paired with a second female, and partner preference was assessed after a second separation.
Main Results:
- Males treated with eticlopride did not form a selective preference between their first and second partners.
- Saline-treated males showed a preference for their second, more recent partner.
- D2 receptor antagonism impaired the formation of a new pair bond but did not disrupt the maintenance of an initial bond.
Conclusions:
- Dopamine D2-like receptors are essential for forming new pair bonds after experiencing partner loss.
- The mechanisms underlying initial pair bond formation may differ from those involved in subsequent bond formation.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiology of social bonding and relationship dynamics.
