Postpartum changes in the GABAergic system in the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract |
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Authors: | Rodríguez Cilia Guillamón Antonio Pinos Helena Collado Paloma |
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Affiliation: | Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, P.O. Box 60.148, 28040, Madrid, Spain. |
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Abstract: | The bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract (BAOT) is a sexually dimorphic structure which controls the inhibition/disinhibition of the medial preoptic area in the expression of maternal behavior. Therefore, in the present study we investigated sex differences and the modulation of gamma-aminobutiric-acid (GABA) in the BAOT during the first two postpartum days. Four groups of Wistar rats: control males, control females, 0 h postpartum females and 48 h postpartum females, were used in this experiment. Sex differences in glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and GABA(A) alpha-chain receptor densities were apparent in the BAOT. The hormonal and behavioral postpartum state affects GABAergic activity in the females' BAOT in two ways: firstly, pregnancy and the first two postpartum days induce an increase in GABA(A)-receptor and GAD densities; secondly, the intensity of these activities are greater in the left hemisphere than in the right. These changes might be related to the BAOT's function of inhibiting/disinhibiting maternal behavior. |
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