The influence of social environment in early life on the behavior, stress response, and reproductive system of adult male Norway rats selected for different attitudes to humans

Abstract The influence of social disturbance in early life on behavior, response of blood corticosterone level to restraint stress, and endocrine and morphometric indices of the testes was studied in 2-month Norway rat males from three populations: not selected for behavior (unselected), selected fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiology & behavior 2015-05, Vol.144, p.116-123
Main Authors: Gulevich, R.G, Shikhevich, S.G, Konoshenko, M.Yu, Kozhemyakina, R.V, Herbeck, Yu.E, Prasolova, L.A, Oskina, I.N, Plyusnina, I.Z
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Aggression
Aggressive
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Attitude
Behavior
Corticosterone - blood
Early-life environment
Exploratory Behavior - physiology
Gene Expression Regulation - physiology
Humans
Hypothalamus - metabolism
Interpersonal Relations
Kisspeptins - genetics
Male
Psychiatry
Rats
Reproduction - physiology
Social Environment
Stress, Psychological - blood
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
Tame
Testis - pathology
Testosterone - blood
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Summary:Abstract The influence of social disturbance in early life on behavior, response of blood corticosterone level to restraint stress, and endocrine and morphometric indices of the testes was studied in 2-month Norway rat males from three populations: not selected for behavior (unselected), selected for against aggression to humans (tame), and selected for increased aggression to humans (aggressive). The experimental social disturbance included early weaning, daily replacement of cagemates from days 19 to 25, and subsequent housing in twos till the age of 2 months. The social disturbance increased the latent period of aggressive behavior in the social interaction test in unselected males and reduced relative testis weights in comparison to the corresponding control groups. In addition, experimental unselected rats had smaller diameters of seminiferous tubules and lower blood testosterone levels. In the experimental group, tame rats had lower basal corticosterone levels, and aggressive animals had lower hormone levels after restraint stress in comparison to the control. The results suggest that the selection in two directions for attitude to humans modifies the response of male rats to social disturbance in early life. In this regard, the selected rat populations may be viewed as a model for investigation of (1) neuroendocrinal mechanisms responsible for the manifestation of aggression and (2) interaction of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal systems in stress.
ISSN:0031-9384
1873-507X
DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.03.018