Mechanisms involved in the control of punished responding in mother rats

In a previous study we found that mother rats show more drinking responses than virgins in the punished drinking paradigm, an animal model for anxiety. The present investigation was carried out to determine the possible mechanisms underlying this naturally occurring anticonflict effect. In Experiment 1, we investigated whether the induction of maternal behavior in virgin females (by long-term estrogen and progestin treatment in combination with pup exposure) enhances punished drinking. However, no release from shock-induced (0.25 mA) suppression of drinking was observed in maternally responsive virgins deprived of water for 24 hr. Unlike natural mothers, then, no anticonflict effect is seen in maternal virgins. A considerable body of evidence suggests that facilitation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity in the brain increases punished responding in rats. In the second experiment, therefore, lactating females were injected with pentylenetetrazol, a GABA antagonist, before being monitored for punished drinking. The drug attenuated the enhanced acceptance of shock in mothers, the effect being observed at a dose level that did not reliably affect unpunished responding. Experiment 3 addressed the possible influence of ovarian and adrenal hormones on punished drinking in lactating females. No significant behavioral effects were observed in mothers subjected to adrenalectomy or ovariectomy 4 days before testing.