scholarly journals A thalamo-preoptic pathway promoting social touch

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Keller ◽  
Tamas Lang ◽  
Melinda Cservenak ◽  
Gina Puska ◽  
Janos Barna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Neuronal Pathway ◽  
The Social ◽  
Physical Interactions ◽  
Stimulation Of

Social touch is an important form of communication, it is still unknown how it is processed. Here, we discovered a functional role for a neuronal pathway projecting from the posterior intralaminar thalamic nucleus (PIL) to the medial preoptic area (MPOA) in controlling social contact. Neurons in the PIL and the MPOA were activated by physical contact between female rodents and also by chemogenetic stimulation of PIL neurons. Chemogenetic stimulation of PIL neurons tagged by social contact experience increased direct physical interactions between familiar female rats without affecting other forms of social behavior. Furthermore, selective stimulation of the PIL-MPOA pathway, and the local activation of PIL terminals within the MPOA, elevated direct social contact between the animals suggesting the role of pathway-specific activated cell assemblies. Neurons projecting from the PIL to the MPOA contain the neuropeptide parathyroid hormone 2 (PTH2). The expression of the peptide was induced by social housing, the presence of PTH2 receptor was identified in MPOA neurons, and local injection of PTH2 increased the firing rate of identified preoptic area GABAergic neurons via the PTH2 receptor suggesting that PTH2 acts as a neurotransmitter in the PIL-MPOA pathway. We also found a homologous PIL to MPOA neuronal pathway in the human brain. Altogether, we discovered a direct thalamo-preoptic pathway, which bypasses the cerebral cortex and controls social touch. This pathway originates in neurons expressing PTH2, a neuropeptide recently shown in fish to respond to the social environment. These observations provide evidence for common evolutionary-conserved PTH2-containing social-touch specific engram circuits.

scholarly journals The Increase in Signaling by Kisspeptin Neurons in the Preoptic Area and Associated Changes in Clock Gene Expression That Trigger the LH Surge in Female Rats Are Dependent on the Facilitatory Action of a Noradrenaline Input

Endocrinology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 323-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Kalil ◽  
Aline B. Ribeiro ◽  
Cristiane M. Leite ◽  
Ernane T. Uchôa ◽  
Ruither O. Carolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Median Eminence ◽  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Third Ventricle ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Ovariectomized Rats ◽  
Lh Surge ◽  
Clock Gene Expression

Abstract In rodents, kisspeptin neurons in the rostral periventricular area of the third ventricle (RP3V) of the preoptic area are considered to provide a major stimulatory input to the GnRH neuronal network that is responsible for triggering the preovulatory LH surge. Noradrenaline (NA) is one of the main modulators of GnRH release, and NA fibers are found in close apposition to kisspeptin neurons in the RP3V. Our objective was to interrogate the role of NA signaling in the kisspeptin control of GnRH secretion during the estradiol induced LH surge in ovariectomized rats, using prazosin, an α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist. In control rats, the estradiol-induced LH surge at 17 hours was associated with a significant increase in GnRH and kisspeptin content in the median eminence with the increase in kisspeptin preceding that of GnRH and LH. Prazosin, administered 5 and 3 hours prior to the predicted time of the LH surge truncated the LH surge and abolished the rise in GnRH and kisspeptin in the median eminence. In the preoptic area, prazosin blocked the increases in Kiss1 gene expression and kisspeptin content in association with a disruption in the expression of the clock genes, Per1 and Bmal1. Together these findings demonstrate for the first time that NA modulates kisspeptin synthesis in the RP3V through the activation of α1-adrenergic receptors prior to the initiation of the LH surge and indicate a potential role of α1-adrenergic signaling in the circadian-controlled pathway timing of the preovulatory LH surge.

scholarly journals Place-based social contact and mixing: a typology of generic meeting places of relevance for infectious disease transmission

2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (12) ◽  
pp. 2582-2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. STRÖMGREN ◽  
E. HOLM ◽  
Ö. DAHLSTRÖM ◽  
J. EKBERG ◽  
H. ERIKSSON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Infectious Disease Transmission ◽  
Swedish Population ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family

SUMMARYThis study aims to develop a typology of generic meeting places based on social contact and mixing of relevance for infectious disease transmission. Data were collected by means of a contact diary survey conducted on a representative sample of the Swedish population. The typology is derived from a cluster analysis accounting for four dimensions associated with transmission risk: visit propensity and its characteristics in terms of duration, number of other persons present and likelihood of physical contact. In the analysis, we also study demographic, socio-economic and geographical differences in the propensity of visiting meeting places. The typology identifies the family venue, the fixed activity site, the family vehicle, the trading plaza and the social network hub as generic meeting places. The meeting place typology represents a spatially explicit account of social contact and mixing relevant to infectious disease modelling, where the social context of the outbreak can be highlighted in light of the actual infectious disease.

scholarly journals Dual brain cortical calcium imaging reveals social interaction-specific wide-spread correlated cortical activity in mice.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Michelson ◽  
Federico Bolaños ◽  
Luis Bolaños ◽  
Matilde Balbi ◽  
Jeffrey M LeDue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Calcium Imaging ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Correlated Activity ◽  
The Social

We employ cortical mesoscale calcium-imaging to observe brain activity in two head-fixed mice in a staged social touch-like interaction. Using a rail system, mice are brought together to a distance where macrovibrissae of each mouse make contact. Cortical signals were recorded from both mice simultaneously before, during, and after the social contact period. When the mice were together, we observed bouts of mutual whisking and cross-mouse correlated cortical activity in the vibrissae cortex. This correlated activity was specific to individual interactions as the correlations fell in trial-shuffled mouse pairs. Whisk-related global GCAMP6s signals were greater in cagemate pairs during the together period. The effects of social interaction extend outside of regions associated with mutual touch and had global synchronizing effects on cortical activity. We present an open-source platform to investigate the neurobiology of social interaction by including mechanical drawings, protocols, and software necessary for others to extend this work.

scholarly journals Lack of social touch increases anxiety and alters social behaviors in mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Kai Ma ◽  
Pei-Yun Zeng ◽  
Yu-Hsin Chu ◽  
Chih-Lin Lee ◽  
Ching-Chuan Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Social Behaviors ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
The Social ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Long Term Observation ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract The importance of social interactions has been reported in different animal species. During the pandemic, although people can communicate through other sensory cues, social touch is mostly prohibited under different levels of social distance policies, which inspired us to explore the necessity of physical contact in mouse social interaction. In this study, we first conducted a long-term observation showing that pair-housed mice in a standard laboratory cage spent nearly half the day in direct physical contact with each other. Furthermore, isolation experiments demonstrated that, even with access to other sensations, prevention of social touch for one month significantly induced anxiety levels, changed social behaviors and increased interleukin-6 cytokine in the hippocampus and the serum of mice. Our study demonstrated the necessity of social touch for the maintenance of mental health in mice. This information could have important implications for human social interactions, especially the social policies during a pandemic crisis.

scholarly journals Keepers as social companions: Tactile communication and social enrichment for captive apes

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Cerrone
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Konrad Lorenz ◽  
Tactile Communication ◽  
Social Animals ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Special Case

The article addresses the topic of great ape–keeper tactile communication. The aim of this paper is to understand whether direct physical contact can be considered a source of enrichment for captive apes and whether it could be used to enhance animal welfare in zoos. We make use of a multispecies perspective provided by umwelt theory in an attempt to determine the role of touch in zoological gardens. By referring to Konrad Lorenz, we describe keeper–animal relationships as a special case of companionship, highlighting the role of keepers in apes’ social behaviour. The paper considers social touch as the primary means used by social animals to create and maintain increasingly complex relationships. Since tactile communication in interspecific contexts has been underestimated previously, our theoretical framework allows for a better understanding of physical contact in zoological gardens without assuming an anthropocentric point of view. Our hypothesis is that physical contact with keepers may provide enriching opportunities for social animals and help strengthen the bond between animals and their keepers. We emphasize that ape–animal interactions in zoos need to involve keeper–animal physical contact as a possible means for enhancing the apes’ welfare.  

IMMUNOREACTIVE LUTEINIZING HORMONE RELEASING FACTOR IN PITUITARY STALK BLOOD FROM FEMALE RATS: SEX STEROID MODULATION OF RESPONSE TO ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF PREOPTIC AREA OR MEDIAN EMINENCE

1976 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
NANCY M. SHERWOOD ◽  
SHARON A. CHIAPPA ◽  
G. FINK
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Median Eminence ◽  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Pituitary Stalk ◽  
Facilitatory Effect ◽  
Sex Steroid ◽  
Female Rat ◽  
Stimulation Of

SUMMARY The effects of sex steroid hormones on the responsiveness of the neural mechanism responsible for the secretion of LH-RF have been examined in the female rat. Responsiveness was determined at pro-oestrus by measuring the increments in immunoreactive LH-RF of pituitary stalk blood produced by electrical stimulation of the medial preoptic area or median eminence. Ovariectomy on the morning of dioestrus reduced the LH-RF response to preoptic stimulation while oestradiol benzoate (OB) or testosterone propionate (TP) administered immediately after ovariectomy significantly augmented the response. The facilitatory effect of TP was possibly due to its conversion to an aromatized derivative since 5α-dihydrotestosterone monobenzoate was ineffective. Progesterone did not facilitate preoptic responsiveness, and, when administered to animals ovariectomized at 12.00 h of pro-oestrus, reduced the LH-RF response at 18.00 h the same day. Stimulation of the median eminence produced a significantly greater increment in LH-RF than stimulation of the preoptic area. The facilitatory action of OB on the LH-RF response was less marked for median eminence compared with preoptic stimulation. The administration of ICI 46474 at 17.00 h of dioestrus did not reduce preoptic responsiveness on the morning of the next day, suggesting that this compound does not act as an 'antioestrogen' at the level of the preoptic area.

scholarly journals Life experience rather than domestication accounts for dogs’ increased oxytocin release during social contact with humans

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwendolyn Wirobski ◽  
Friederike Range ◽  
Franka S. Schaebs ◽  
Rupert Palme ◽  
Tobias Deschner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Pet Dogs ◽  
System Activity ◽  
Oxytocin Release

AbstractDogs’ increased human-directed sociability compared to wolves may be the result of increased oxytocin system activity and decreased stress responses, but comparative studies accounting for life experience are lacking. We compared hand-raised, pack-living wolves’ and dogs’ behavior and hormone concentrations after interacting with a closely bonded and a familiar human. Both preferred the bonded partner, but dogs showed less variability in human-directed sociability than wolves. Physical contact was not associated with oxytocin but correlated positively with glucocorticoids in the pack-living animals when the human was not bonded. To clarify the role of life experience, we tested pet dogs and found that oxytocin concentrations correlated positively with physical contact with their owners, while glucocorticoids remained unaffected. Results show that, given similar experiences, wolf-dog differences in human-directed sociability and associated hormones are subtle and indicate that factors related to life as a pet dog rather than domestication account for oxytocin release during human–dog interactions.

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