Physiology & Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Cafeteria diet increases approach behavior and appetitive ultrasonic vocalizations triggered by a food-related cue in male rats","authors":"Rebeca Vindas-Smith ,&nbsp;Andrey Sequeira-Cordero ,&nbsp;Georgina Gómez ,&nbsp;Jaime Fornaguera ,&nbsp;Juan C. Brenes","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The omnipresence of highly palatable food and its related cues constitutes an important risk factor for overeating and body weight gain in today's obesogenic environment. This study examined the metabolic, behavioral, and neurobiological effects of a cafeteria (CAF) diet (kcal composition: 42 % carbs, 13 % protein, 45 % fat) against two control grain-based diets: C1 (kcal composition: 63 % carbs, 23 % protein, 14 % fat) and C2 (kcal composition: 58 % carbs, 29 % protein, 13 % fat) in male Wistar rats (<em>n</em> = 27) at postnatal day 38. After a 9-week feeding period, open-field activity and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were assessed using the animals' empty food container to evaluate attribution of incentive salience to food cues. Additionally, we measured biochemical serum profiles, neurotransmitter levels, and mRNA for BDNF, TrkB, CREB, Dnmt3A, and CRF in reward-related brain regions. Results showed that the CAF diet increased food intake, body weight, and adiposity. CAF-fed rats significantly explored the empty food container more and emitted higher rates of 50-kHz frequency-modulated USVs –markers of incentive motivation and positive affect. The CAF diet also upregulated hippocampal BDNF, TrkB, and CREB, while downregulated TrkB, CREB, and Dnmt3A mRNA in the nucleus accumbens. Although both control diets were suitable for studying CAF effects, the C1 and C2 groups differed in some parameters (e.g., mRNA, cholesterol, and glutamate levels), highlighting the need for appropriate control diets. Our findings reveal that the CAF diet enhances behavioral reactivity to food cues and induces distinct neurobiological alterations, shedding light on the mechanisms linking palatable foods, reward processing, and obesity vulnerability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115099"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145058510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumption of Brazilian palm fruit (Acrocomia intumescens drude) improves biochemical and gut microbiome parameters, reducing cardiovascular risk in exercised rats","authors":"Mikaelle Albuquerque de Souza ,&nbsp;Diego Elias Pereira ,&nbsp;Elen Carla Alves da Silva ,&nbsp;Robson Galdino Medeiros ,&nbsp;Andreza Moraes Duarte ,&nbsp;Larissa Maria Gomes Dutra ,&nbsp;Daline Fernandes de Souza Araújo ,&nbsp;Wydemberg Jose de Araújo ,&nbsp;Celso José Bruno de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Gerlane Coelho Bernardo Guerra ,&nbsp;Adriano Francisco Alves ,&nbsp;Vanessa Bordin Viera ,&nbsp;Juliana Késsia Barbosa Soares","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of macaiba pulp on physical, biochemical, intestinal health, and oxidative stress parameters in exercised rats. Methodology: Forty-four male rats were divided into four groups (<em>n</em>= 11): sedentary control (CT), exercised control (CT-EX), sedentary macaiba (MC), and exercised macaiba (MC-EX). MC and MC-EX groups received 1000 mg/kg/day of macaiba pulp, while CT and CT-EX received distilled water for eight weeks. Exercised animals underwent swimming for five days a week, beginning with 10 min and progressing to 60 min. Blood was collected to measure cholesterol (TC, HDL, LDL, VLDL), glucose, urea, liver enzymes (AST, ALT), and cardiovascular risk factors. Liver samples were analyzed for malonaldehyde (MDA), total fat, and cholesterol, while feces were collected for metagenome analysis. Body fat and adiposity index were also measured. Results: Macaiba-treated groups showed improved gut microbiome balance, reduced TC, LDL, VLDL, glucose, urea, liver enzymes, cardiovascular risks, body fat, MDA, and liver fat, with an increase in HDL. Conclusion: Macaiba pulp effectively improved biochemical parameters, reduced lipid peroxidation from exercise, and lowered adipose tissue and cardiovascular risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115102"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145055150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How the presence of a dog and types of interaction affect physiological responses to experimental heat pain induction in healthy humans - a randomized controlled study","authors":"Lene Høeg Fuglsang-Damgaard ,&nbsp;Sigrid Juhl Lunde ,&nbsp;Janne Winther Christensen ,&nbsp;Lene Vase ,&nbsp;Poul B. Videbech ,&nbsp;Nancy R. Gee ,&nbsp;Karen Thodberg","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115097","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;It has become increasingly popular to include dogs as a complement to regular therapy, with the expectation that they offer, among other benefits, pain-relieving effects. Meanwhile, studies covering the topic of painful situations within the field of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) present conflicting results and rarely consider the type and duration of interaction with the dog. Thus, the impact of human-dog interactions on physiological measurements during painful situations is largely unknown. Basic research is needed on the effects of interacting with a dog, using commonly applied immediate physiological measurements in healthy humans during experimental pain induction to fill this gap in the literature.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The present study investigated how AAI influences physiological measurements when healthy humans are subjected to experimental heat pain induction. Simultaneously, the study explored how the duration of different types of interaction with a human companion or a dog as well as dog behavior during experimental heat pain induction affected physiological measurements.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Fifty-eight healthy participants (14 men, 44 women, age: 18-66 years) were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: 1) a dog and a human companion or 2) a human companion only. Both intervention groups underwent two test conditions in a balanced order: an active test condition with their allocated intervention and a control test condition without their allocated intervention. The participants were exposed to a 5-minute heat pain induction trial in both test conditions with a 20-minute break between trials. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance (SC), analyzed as tonic level (SCL) and peak counts (SCR), were continuously recorded. Blood pressure (BP) and salivary cortisol (s-cortisol) were collected as pre- and post-measurements for each test condition. Behavioral interactions between the participant, dog and human companion as well as behavior of the dog were recorded and the influence of the behavioral interactions on each physiological measure was analyzed. Linear Mixed Models were applied.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;HR was higher for the intervention group with a dog and a human companion compared to a human companion only (p=0.013). Additionally, within-subject comparison showed an increased HR during the active condition compared to the control condition in both intervention groups (dog and human companion: p&lt;0.001 and human companion only: p=0.025). None of the other physiological measurements were influenced by the mere presence of a dog in either the between- nor within-subject comparisons. Within the human companion only group, SCL and SCR were higher during the active condition compared to the control (both p&lt;0.001). The duration of the behavioral interaction between the participant and human companion variously influenced HRV, SBP, s-cortisol and SCL during the active condition in both intervention groups. Furt","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115097"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trait-like stability of sweet food preferences during diet-induced weight loss in women with overweight and obesity: Evidence from the Leeds food preference questionnaire","authors":"O’Connor Dominic ,&nbsp;Casanova Nuno ,&nbsp;Oustric Pauline ,&nbsp;Beaulieu Kristine ,&nbsp;Hopkins Mark ,&nbsp;Gibbons Catherine ,&nbsp;Finlayson Graham","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Sweet taste preferences are known to influence food choice and diet quality, but the stability of these preferences over time – particularly during structured weight loss interventions – remains unclear. The present study explored the within person stability of sweet food preferences using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ), a validated, ecologically valid tool, during diet-induced weight loss in women with overweight/obesity.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Forty-six women with overweight or obesity (mean age = 34.9 years, mean BMI = 29.2kg/m²) were randomly allocated to continuous or intermittent energy restriction interventions designed to achieve ≥5 % weight loss within 12 weeks. Sweet food preferences were assessed at baseline, week 2 and post-intervention. Stability of sweet food preferences was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), at a single timepoint (ICC Single) and across multiple timepoints (ICC Average).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both diet interventions produced significant reductions in body weight (CER = - 4.93 kg, IER = -4.42 kg) and body fat (CER = -3.67 kg, IER = -3.04 kg) without differences between groups. No significant changes in sweet food preferences occurred during the intervention for either group. Sweet preferences showed moderate to good stability for single measurements (ICC Single: 0.564–0.750) and good to excellent stability across multiple timepoints (ICC Average: 0.795–0.900), indicating participants maintained their relative sweet preference position compared to others throughout the intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Sweet food preferences remain stable during diet-induced weight loss in women with overweight/obesity. While exhibiting some day-to-day variations, sweet preferences demonstrate trait-like characteristics that persist despite significant changes in body weight and composition. These findings have important implications for weight management strategies, suggesting that interventions may need to work with, rather than to change, an individual’s inherent taste preference.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115098"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145041057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Individual differences in stress coping are linked to working memory performance in male and female F344 rats","authors":"Melanie A. Tieman ,&nbsp;Hannah M. Gandy ,&nbsp;Haley A. Dufala ,&nbsp;Caitlin A. Orsini ,&nbsp;Lori A. Newman ,&nbsp;Joseph A. McQuail","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Executive dysfunction and altered stress reactivity are core features of many neuropsychiatric disorders, contributing substantially to global disability and frequently exhibiting sex-specific prevalence and symptom profiles. Understanding how stress responses normally relate to executive function, and whether these relationships differ by sex, is critical for identifying mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience. Although sex differences in stress and cognition have been reported, preclinical findings remain mixed, and few studies assess behavioral coping, endocrine responses, and working memory performance within the same subjects. In this study, we used F344 rats to examine how individual differences in behavioral and hormonal responses to acute stress relate to working memory, assessed using an operant delayed match-to-sample task. Males and females differed in stress reactivity: females exhibited greater immobility across “pre-test” and “test” sessions of the forced swim test (FST) and a more rapid decline in corticosterone (CORT) following restraint, suggesting sex-specific patterns of behavioral and physiological regulation. Despite these differences, working memory accuracy did not differ by sex, although females completed fewer trials and responded more slowly than males. Estrous cycle did not influence cognitive or non-mnemonic performance. Crucially, individual variation in FST immobility, rather than sex or CORT dynamics, was the strongest predictor of working memory accuracy. These findings bridge observed sex differences in stress reactivity with the absence of sex differences in cognition, revealing a trait-level relationship that generalizes across sexes. By jointly considering sex and individual behavioral traits, this work supports approaches to identify biologically meaningful cognitive phenotypes in preclinical models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115101"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145040903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meranzin Hydrate ameliorates “atherosclerotic depression” in ApoE−/− mice by restoring gut microbiota—driven microbial-inflammatory circuitry","authors":"Wenya Huang,&nbsp;Le Zhang,&nbsp;Chendong Xu,&nbsp;Zhifang Cai,&nbsp;Haotian Qian,&nbsp;Min Xu,&nbsp;Xi Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Depression and atherosclerosis frequently co-occur, with disrupted gut microbiota–driven inflammatory circuitry emerging as a shared pathogenic mechanism. To address this, we operationally define “atherosclerotic depression” as depression comorbidity with atherosclerosis. Despite its clinical significance, integrated therapeutic strategies remain lacking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An ApoE^−/− mouse model combining high-fat diet feeding and acute restraint stress was established to mimic atherosclerosis-associated depression. Animals received Meranzin Hydrate (MH) treatment, followed by comprehensive assessments. Metabolic and vascular endpoints included body weight, serum lipid profiles, and aortic plaque burden (Oil Red O staining). Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated through standardized behavioral tests. BOLD-fMRI with regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis measured brain functional activity. Gut microbiota profiling was performed by 16S rRNA sequencing to assess α-/β-diversity, Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and keystone taxa. Inflammatory and neurotrophic markers were examined via ELISA (5-hydroxytryptamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin-6, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and ghrelin), while protein and mRNA levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and ghrelin were analyzed by Western blot and RT-PCR<strong>.</strong></div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MH significantly reduced aortic plaque formation, improved lipid profiles, and alleviated depressive-like behaviors. MH restored gut microbiota homeostasis by enhancing α-diversity, normalizing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and enriching beneficial taxa such as Akkermansia and Allobaculum. These microbiota changes paralleled the reversal of stress- and diet-induced BOLD-fMRI alterations in emotion-regulation regions (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex). Inflammatory circuitry was rebalanced, as evidenced by reduced IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and VCAM-1, alongside restored hippocampal and cardiac 5-HT, BDNF, and ghrelin levels.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>MH demonstrates therapeutic potential in alleviating atherosclerosis co-depression by modulating acute mental stress-induced vascular inflammation, neurotrophic factors, brain function, and gut microbiota.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145041099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute and repeated low dose lipopolysaccharide differentially influences opposite-sex odour preference in male and female mice","authors":"Dante Cantini ,&nbsp;Elena Choleris ,&nbsp;Martin Kavaliers","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Infection threat affects social preferences and mate choice across species. Female mice have been shown to avoid the odours of sick males acutely treated with relatively high doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. However, less is known about the responses of both sexes to more naturalistic low level infection threat. Here we considered the responses of both male and female mice to the odours of opposite sex individuals acutely and repeatedly treated with very low and low doses of LPS (1.0 and 25 μg/kg, respectively). There was minimal avoidance of the odours of individuals acutely treated with 1.0 μg/kg LPS, whereas repeated treatment (days 1, 4 and 7), which elicited sensitization (priming), resulted in significant Day 7 avoidance. Conversely, the odours of individuals acutely treated with 25 μg/kg of LPS elicited significant avoidance, whereas repeated treatment, which lead to the development of tolerance, attenuated avoidance. In all cases females displayed a greater avoidance than males of opposite sex odours. Our results show that both male and female mice are sensitive to the nature of the infection status and threat conveyed by the olfactory cues associated with low levels of infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145040860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased alcohol intake and alcohol use disorder following bariatric surgery: potential mechanisms","authors":"Allan Geliebter","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are the most effective weight loss procedures for severe obesity. However, there is recent evidence of increased alcohol intake and new onset alcohol use disorder (AUD) by 2 years following both operations. Although the two surgeries differ anatomically, they lead to similar increased drinking. The mechanisms behind increased alcohol intake post-surgery remain unclear. One theory is that with a marked reduction in food intake post-surgery, there is an \"addiction\" transfer from food to alcohol intake. Another theory implicates the higher rate of absorption of alcohol post-SG and post-RYGB for the increased alcohol intake. Elucidating the mechanisms could help provide new therapeutic targets for preventing increased alcohol intake and AUD, as well as identify measures that could be used in a clinical setting to help predict the likelihood of AUD. These findings could also help guide the development of new surgical procedures that do not lead to increased alcohol intake.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145030392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Children’s satiety responsiveness moderates the association between food reinforcement and eating in the absence of hunger","authors":"Kyle Hallisky ,&nbsp;Alaina L. Pearce ,&nbsp;Bari Fuchs ,&nbsp;Benjamin A. Baney ,&nbsp;Sruthi Ramesh ,&nbsp;Stephen J. Wilson ,&nbsp;Travis Masterson ,&nbsp;Emma J. Rose ,&nbsp;Amanda Bruce ,&nbsp;Seung-Lark Lim ,&nbsp;Kathleen L. Keller","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The reinforcing value of food, a measure of motivation to obtain food, is associated with obesity in children. However, the extent to which food reinforcement predicts children’s intake under different contexts (i.e., meals fasted, eating in the absence of hunger-EAH) is unknown. We hypothesized that food reinforcement would be positively associated with intake at meals and EAH and examined whether satiety responsiveness (SR) moderates this association. As part of an ongoing 5-visit study, 96 children (7–9 years &lt;95th BMI%) completed a Relative Reinforcing Value task (visit-V1) to assess willingness to work for candy and toys. Thirty minutes before the task, children consumed an ad libitum multi-item meal (grilled cheese, chicken tenders, etc.). On V3 and V4, children consumed the same meal followed 20 min later by presentation of nine snacks for measurement of EAH. SR was assessed from parent report (Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire). Mixed effect regressions showed a positive association between food reinforcement and energy intake at the meals (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). SR was negatively associated with food reinforcement (<em>p</em> = 0.03) and moderated the association between food reinforcement and EAH (<em>p</em> = 0.03). In children with low SR (-1SD below mean), food reinforcement and EAH were positively associated (<em>p</em> = 0.03). No associations were seen in children with SR near or above the mean. This demonstrates that willingness to work for food is associated with greater energy intake during a meal across children and EAH among children with low sensitivity to satiety cues. Interventions promoting SR may help mitigate effects of food reinforcement on non-hunger-related intake.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115092"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response characteristics of barrel cortical neurons in layers IV/V of juvenile rats with autism-like traits after tactile stimulation","authors":"Mohammad Reza Afarinesh ,&nbsp;Bi Bi Marzieh Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Mansoureh Sabzalizadeh ,&nbsp;Vahid Sheibani","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The barrel cortex is a specialized region of the primary somatosensory cortex that processes tactile information from whiskers. This study investigates how tactile stimulation (TS) affects excitatory receptive fields and surrounds suppression in barrel cortex neurons of male and female autistic-like rats, using various whisker displacement protocols. The animals were categorized into control, Valproic acid pre-treated (Val), and Val-TS treatment groups. In male Val-TS rats, TS reduced layer IV ON/OFF amplitudes for principal and adjacent whisker displacements, while only OFF response latency to principal whisker displacement decreased. In females, Val group showed increased ON/OFF amplitudes, which decreased in Val-TS, returning to control levels. ON/OFF response latency to principal whisker displacement increased in Val-TS, returning to control. Tactile stimulation more effectively remodeled receptive fields and temporal timing in female barrel cortex. In layer V, male Val-TS rats showed no significant amplitude differences but decreased ON/OFF latencies to principal whisker displacement. Adjacent whisker responses were largely unchanged. In females, Val-TS rats had increased ON/OFF amplitudes to principal whisker displacement, but no latency changes. Adjacent whisker responses showed amplitude and latency differences, suggesting receptive-field expansion and remodeling. In terms of inhibitory responses, conditioning test (CT) ratio analysis indicated significant group effects for both ON and OFF responses in layer IV, with the Val-TS group showing higher CT-ratios than the Val and control groups for both sexes. Layer V responses indicated similar trends, with elevated CT-ratios in male rats under Val-TS conditions, whereas females did not show significant differences. Overall, these findings reveal distinct variations in responses of the barrel cortex neurons based on sex and treatment conditions, emphasizing the nuanced impact of interventions on neuronal responsiveness. This research enhances our understanding of sex-dependent neural adaptations and their implications for sensory processing and neuroplasticity in response to external stimuli.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 115093"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}