Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Nucleus Accumbens Mediates Individual Differences in Behavioral Responses to a Natural, Social Reward

• DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01699-2
• Publication Date: 2019-07-20T22:02:11Z
• Authors: Tie-Yuan Zhang; Dara Shahrokh; Ian C. Hellstrom; Xianglan Wen; Josie Diorio; Lionel Breuillaud; Christian Caldji; Michael J Meaney
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Behavior, Animal; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; 150; Ventral hippocampus; Oxytocin; Hippocampus; Nucleus Accumbens; 03 medical and health sciences; BDNF; 0302 clinical medicine; Gene Expression Regulation; Reward; Nucleus accumbens; Animals; Female; Rats, Long-Evans; RNA, Messenger; Maternal behavior; Maternal Behavior; Social Behavior

BDNF-oxytocin interactions in the brain are implicated in mammalian maternal behavior. We found that BDNF gene expression is increased in the hippocampus of rat mothers that show increased pup licking/grooming (high LG mothers) compared to low LG mothers. High LG mothers also showed increased BDNF protein levels in the nucleus accumbens (nAcc). Immunoneutralization of BDNF in the nAcc eliminated the differences in pup LG between high and low LG mothers. Oxytocin antagonist in the ventral hippocampus significantly decreased the frequency of maternal LG behavior. Oxytocin antagonist significantly prevented the oxytocin-induced BDNF gene expression in primary hippocampal cell cultures. We suggest that oxytocin-induced regulation of BDNF in the nAcc provides a neuroendocrine basis for both individual differences in maternal behavior and resilience to the stress of reproduction in female mammals.