Journal
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
Volume 46, Issue 4, Pages 444-449Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.04.006
Keywords
aggression; vasopressin; photoperiodic; anterior hypothalamus
Categories
Funding
- NIMH NIH HHS [MH62641] Funding Source: Medline
- NINDS NIH HHS [NS37232] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Syrian hamsters are photoperiodic and become sexually quiescent when exposed to short winter-like photoperiods. In short photoperiods, male hamsters display significantly higher levels of aggression than males housed in long photoperiods. Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) within the anterior hypothalamus (AH) has been reported to modulate aggression in hamsters housed in long photoperiods. Previous studies have shown that AVP can facilitate aggression and its effects appear to be mediated by AVP V-1a receptors (V1aR). In the present study, we investigated whether the increased levels of aggression observed after exposure to short photoperiod were the result of an increased responsiveness to AVP within the AH. Injections of AVP into the AH significantly increased aggression in hamsters housed in a long photoperiod, but had no effect in hamsters housed in a short photoperiod. In addition, injection of a V1aR antagonist into the AH significantly inhibited aggression in hamsters housed in long photoperiod, but had no effect in hamsters housed in a short photoperiod. These findings indicate that AVP within the AH increases aggression in hamsters housed in long photoperiods, but not in hamsters housed in short photoperiods. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available