Functions of the Caudal Periaqueductal Gray in Lactating Rats: Kyphosis, Lordosis, Maternal Aggression, and Fearfulness

Severe impairment of the kyphotic nursing posture in lactating rats found previously after prepartum lesions of the caudal intercollicular periaqueductal gray (cPAG-x) was confirmed and was extended to a continuous 24-hr period. Litters of cPAG-x dams gained ∼10% less weight postnatally than control...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral neuroscience 1998-12, Vol.112 (6), p.1502-1518
Main Authors: Lonstein, Joseph S, Simmons, Danielle A, Stern, Judith M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression - physiology
Agonistic Behavior - physiology
Anatomical correlates of behavior
Animal
Animal Aggressive Behavior
Animal behavior
Animal Ethology
Animal Maternal Behavior
Animal reproduction
Animal Sexual Receptivity
Animals
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Mapping
Breastfeeding & lactation
Dominance, Cerebral - physiology
Fear
Fear - physiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lactation
Lactation - physiology
Male
Maternal Behavior - physiology
Neurology
Periaqueductal Gray
Periaqueductal Gray - physiology
Posture
Posture - physiology
Pregnancy
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Rodents
Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology
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Summary:Severe impairment of the kyphotic nursing posture in lactating rats found previously after prepartum lesions of the caudal intercollicular periaqueductal gray (cPAG-x) was confirmed and was extended to a continuous 24-hr period. Litters of cPAG-x dams gained ∼10% less weight postnatally than controls, which was in part related to their dams' compensatory prone nursing posture that was ineffective for milk letdown. Sexual proceptivity and receptivity (lordosis) during the postpartum estrus were virtually eliminated in subjects with relatively large bilateral cPAG lesions. The doubling of maternal attacks toward a male intruder after lesioning was also confirmed and was related to reduced fearfulness in an elevated plus-maze. Thus, the cPAG plays a multifaceted role in parturient rats; it is involved in the mediation of nursing, sexual, aggressive, and fear behaviors.
ISSN:0735-7044
1939-0084
DOI:10.1037/0735-7044.112.6.1502