Physiology & Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Chemogenetic suppression of NST GABA neurons reveals inhibition of behavioral responses to sucrose and quinine","authors":"B. Kalyanasundar,&nbsp;Andrew Harley,&nbsp;Charlotte Klimovich,&nbsp;Susan Travers","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Central taste processing begins in the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST), a region rich in GABAergic neurons. We recently showed that chemogenetic activation of rNST GABA/GAD65 neurons dampens behavioral acceptance of palatable (sucrose and maltodextrin) and increases acceptance of unpalatable (quinine) taste stimuli (Travers et al., 2022). Here, we investigated whether suppressing activity in rNST GABA neurons likewise affects behavioral taste responsivity. Using mice in which Cre was expressed under the control of the GAD65 promoter, we made bilateral rNST injections of a Cre-dependent AAV driving expression of the inhibitory DREADD, hM4Di. Subsequently, we assessed concentration-dependent licking responses to sucrose, quinine, and quinine mixed in 300 mM sucrose. Relative to intraperitoneal injections of saline, clozapine-N-oxide injections significantly increased licking to sucrose and decreased licking to quinine, regardless of whether it was presented alone or mixed in sucrose. Neither oromotor (inter-lick intervals) nor appetitive (number of trials) variables were affected. Consistent with these behavioral effects, the neuronal activity marker, Fos, was expressed in more NST, reticular formation, and parabrachial nucleus cells following clozapine-N-oxide injections. A final experiment compared effects of chemogenetic GABA inhibition on sucrose licking in food deprived versus fed mice. Inhibiting GABA neurons enhanced sucrose licking in both homeostatic states. However, the impact was more marked under the latter state in female mice, suggesting a sex difference in the impact of satiety signals on GABA rNST neurons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 114889"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693103","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":"Repeated non-contact exposure to pups inhibits infanticidal and facilitates paternal behavior in virgin adult male mice (C57BL6)","authors":"Alsina-Llanes M,&nbsp;Lenzi B,&nbsp;Olazábal DE","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pup-naïve virgin adult male C57BL6 mice are mainly infanticidal when exposed to pups for the first time. The processes underlying pup-directed aggression and the transition toward parental care are poorly understood. Social isolation has been shown to inhibit infanticidal behavior in some strain of mice. However, it is unclear if highly infanticidal male CB57BL6 mice can sensitize after repeated exposures to pups. The aim of this study was to determine whether repeated non-contact exposure to pups (to prevent immediate attack), with or without movement restriction and social isolation, can inhibit infanticidal behavior in male mice. We also investigated whether pup-directed aggression was associated with male-male aggression in a resident-intruder test. We found that repeated non-contact exposure to pups, in socially isolated males or in males with movement restraint, significantly reduced the incidence of aggression towards pups and increased the incidence of parental behavior. Social isolation or movement restraint alone had no significant effect. Finally, the frequency of pup-directed aggression was not associated with the levels of male-male aggression. This study shows that the experience of being exposed to newborns without contact with them can inhibit the highly driven impulsive-like attacking behavior towards pups and facilitate parental behavior. Our results suggest that aggressive behavior towards pups can be blocked in naïve male mice and that this behavior differs from male-male aggression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 114885"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693106","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":"Outdoor physical activity is more beneficial than indoor physical activity for cognition in young people","authors":"Grace Walters,&nbsp;Karah J. Dring,&nbsp;Ryan A. Williams,&nbsp;Robert Needham,&nbsp;Simon B. Cooper","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Substantial evidence demonstrates the beneficial acute effect of physical activity and the outdoor environment independently on cognitive function. However, evidence for their potential synergistic effects remain unknown.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following familiarisation, forty-five children (aged 11–13 years) took part in an identical physical activity session outdoors and indoors; and completed a battery of cognitive tests (Stroop test, Sternberg paradigm, and Flanker task) before, immediately post-, and 45 min post-physical activity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Following outdoor, compared to indoor, physical activity response time was improved more immediately post-physical activity on the 3-item level of the Sternberg Paradigm (-34 ms <em>vs</em> +14 ms; <em>P</em> = 0.001), at 45 min post-physical activity on the complex level of the Stroop test (-94 ms <em>vs</em> -20 ms; <em>P</em> = 0.002), the 1-item (-9 ms <em>vs</em> +71 ms; <em>P</em> = 0.026) and 3-item level of the Sternberg paradigm (-37 ms <em>vs</em> +69 ms; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), and the congruent level of the Flanker test (-44 ms <em>vs</em> -14 ms; <em>P</em> = 0.001). Accuracy was also improved more outdoors (compared to indoors) immediately post-physical activity (+2.0 % <em>vs</em> +0.4 %; <em>P</em> = 0.036) and 45 min post-physical activity (+2.0 % <em>vs</em> +0.1 %; <em>P</em> = 0.043) on the complex level of the Stroop test and on the incongruent level of the Flanker test (no change <em>vs</em> -3 %; <em>P</em> = 0.008).</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>This is the first study to demonstrate superior cognitive benefits of outdoor, compared to indoor, physical activity. The overarching finding of this investigation is that physical activity performed outdoors significantly improves cognitive function more than when performed indoors, suggesting a synergistic effect between physical activity and the outdoor environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 114888"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143693104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of ovarian activity and menopause on mental health: Evidence from animal models and women","authors":"Ediana V. Neitzke ,&nbsp;Fabiola G. dos Santos ,&nbsp;Bianka M. Zanini ,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Cavalcante ,&nbsp;Jeffrey B. Mason ,&nbsp;Michal M. Masternak ,&nbsp;Izabel C.C. de Souza ,&nbsp;Augusto Schneider","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hormonal variations occurring throughout the female reproductive cycle have a significant impact on physical and mental health, particularly due to the influence of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). These changes are directly related to alterations in neurological systems, being associated with conditions such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and mood disorders during hormonal transition phases, such as perimenopause and menopause. Studies conducted in humans and animal models indicate that these fluctuations affect neurotransmitters, neural plasticity, and patterns of brain activity, ultimately influencing quality of life and mental health. Despite extensive research on the topic, the interactions between sex hormones, mental health, and reproductive aging still require further investigation, emphasizing approaches that simultaneously address experimental and behavioral aspects. Thus, this review aims to sumarize findings about the influence of hormonal fluctuations throughout the female reproductive lifespan, including transitions such as perimenopause and menopause, on mental health. A comparative analysis of data from studies in animal models and humans was conducted, highlighting neuroendocrine, behavioral, and emotional mechanisms associated with hormonal changes and their impacts on female mental health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674355","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":"The role of ultrasonic vocalizations in rat laryngological investigations","authors":"Adrianna C. Shembel ,&nbsp;Aaron M. Johnson ,&nbsp;Michelle R. Ciucci ,&nbsp;Charlie Lenell Lunaris ,&nbsp;Robert A. Morrison ,&nbsp;Denis Michael Rudisch","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rat ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) have traditionally been used in psychosocial and psychobiological studies to understand emotion, social behavior, cognition, and associative learning. However, recent studies have expanded the goal of USVs to include the study of the laryngeal system and the effects of disease processes on vocal sensorimotor control. Without the foundational understanding of the goals of this area of laryngological research, fundamental differences in study objectives between psychobehavioral and laryngological studies can easily be missed, leading to misconceptions and misinterpretations of the role USVs play in laryngology-focused studies. Standardization of terminology and methods are also needed to improve communication, enhance study replicability, and prevent ambiguity that can lead to misinterpretations of study objectives and findings in this line of research.</div><div>The primary objective is to describe the role of USVs in studies of laryngeal anatomy and physiology, with a focus on their connections to the neuromuscular and neurological aspects of the laryngeal system, particularly in relation to vocal sensorimotor control and voice disorders. It is intended for novice investigators interested in laryngology-specific USV research. Researchers experienced in USV studies within the context of the larynx and vocal sensorimotor control first outline the development and refinement of various USV elicitation methods. They provide insights into how these approaches have been tested across different studies and laboratories. Finally, they advocate for standardizing terminology and methodologies to enhance study replicability, reduce ambiguity, and foster collaboration across research groups.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114887"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143674359","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":"Not so different anymore? Women's and men's disgust sensitivity becomes similar with increasing age","authors":"Anne Berthold ,&nbsp;Angela Bearth ,&nbsp;Jeanine Ammann ,&nbsp;Michael Siegrist","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous research provides ample evidence that women experience more disgust than men. The most prominent explanation for these effects is that women are more careful and sensitive about their health due to the possibility of harming potential offspring. Given that the probability for women to give birth is decreasing after a certain age (i.e., menopause), we assume that differences between men and women might be smaller or even faded away over time. To test this hypothesis, we revisited several data sets (in total N = 28′059) containing information about sex, age, and variables related to disgust. The predicted pattern was found for food disgust sensitivity, food neophobia, health-wise worries about food, and contamination fear. In all presented studies, the scores of younger women were higher compared to those of younger males, but after a certain age, sex differences were less pronounced or even non-existent. We discuss how considering the factor <em>age</em> together with individuals sex helps us to gain more insight in the dynamics of disgust and vulnerability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114884"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behavioral outcomes in the bystander and demonstrator male mice following a socially-transferred allodynia paradigm","authors":"Sha Sha ,&nbsp;Moruo Zhang ,&nbsp;Ting Ge ,&nbsp;Lingzhen Song ,&nbsp;Zhou Wu ,&nbsp;Hongxing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The state of mechanical allodynia can be socially transferred from one individual to another during a brief empathetic contact. Our recent research has identified inter-individual differences in behavioral adaptations among bystander (BY) mice after a brief social contact with a demonstrator mouse experiencing complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain. However, the impact of the duration of social contact on the development of socially transferred allodynia is not yet clear. Additionally, it remains unknown whether social contact with different subgroups of BY mice differentially affects the pain behavior of CFA demonstrator mice. In the current study, we established a socially transferred allodynia paradigm with varying durations of social contact in male C57BL/6 J mice. We found that a 30-min or a longer social exposure to a CFA demonstrator mouse led to stable mechanical allodynia in naive BY mouse. As the duration of social contact increased, the persistence of the socially transferred allodynia also extended. Interestingly, the CFA demonstrator mice exhibited a partial reversal of mechanical allodynia when exposed to the BY mice for 24 h, but not for shorter durations. Surprisingly, this analgesic-like behavioral adaptation occurred only when the BY mice were susceptible to socially transferred allodynia. These findings demonstrate that behavioral adaptations in both BY and CFA demonstrator mice develop in a time-dependent manner. Additionally, the social contact-induced analgesic-like effect in CFA mice requires a specific cage mate that is susceptible to socially transferred allodynia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114880"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658334","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":"Non-aversive handling in laboratory animals and its effects on depressive-like and anxiety-related behaviors: A scoping review","authors":"Louise Castro de Jesus,&nbsp;Ana Lúcia S․ Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114883","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114883","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stress is an adaptive response to environmental demands, but increased intensity and frequency can lead to impaired adaptive functions. Stress is considered a risk factor for Major Depressive Disorder, a multifactorial disorder that often coexists with anxiety. Picking up laboratory mice by the tail is the most common method for animal capture and may create background stress. Non-aversive handling (NAH) includes capturing the animal with the help of a tunnel or by capturing the animal with cupped hands. Given the importance of stress-induced models in the investigation of depressive-like and anxiety-related behaviors, we conducted a literature review to investigate the current knowledge on the behavioral effects of NAH in laboratory animals. While the ability of NAH to counteract depressive-like behavior has yielded mixed results, its ability to induce anxiolytic-like effects in mice has been confirmed by several studies. Some of the studies also investigated the impact of NAH on stress-related molecules (e.g. corticosterone) and physiological parameters (i.e. adrenal gland mass and body weight). The anxiolytic-like effect elicited by NAH seems to be well established in the literature, but little is known about the biochemical pathways underlying it and its antidepressant potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114883"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649799","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":"The effects of risperidone and voluntary exercise intervention on synaptic plasticity gene expressions in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of juvenile female rats","authors":"Weijie Yi,&nbsp;Emma Sylvester,&nbsp;Jiamei Lian,&nbsp;Chao Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Psychiatric disorders and antipsychotics are associated with impaired neuroplasticity, while physical exercise has been reported to enhance neuroplasticity and improve cognitive and affective processes. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that voluntary exercise can enhance synaptic plasticity in juvenile rats disrupted by risperidone, a commonly prescribed antipsychotic for pediatric patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty-two juvenile female rats were randomly assigned to Vehicle+Sedentary, Risperidone (0.9mg/kg; b.i.d)+Sedentary, Vehicle+Exercise (three hours daily access to running wheels), and Risperidone+Exercise groups for four week treatment. Brains were collected for further analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In the hippocampus, the mRNA expressions of <em>Bdnf, Ntrk2</em>, and <em>Grin2b</em> were increased by risperidone and exercise intervention. Exercise upregulated expression of <em>Grin1</em> and <em>Grin2a. Syn1</em> and <em>Syp</em> mRNA expression were enhanced by exercise in the risperidone-treated group. The expression of both <em>Mfn1</em> and <em>Drp1</em> mRNA were decreased by risperidone-only treatment. In the prefrontal cortex, <em>Bdnf</em> and <em>Dlg4</em> expression was upregulated by exercise, while the <em>Ntrk2</em> expression was reduced by risperidone and reversed by exercise. The <em>Mfn1</em> mRNA expression was decreased by risperidone with or without voluntary exercise. The risperidone-decreased <em>Ppargc1α</em> gene expression was enhanced by exercise.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Risperidone affects synaptic plasticity through a complex mechanism in female juvenile rats: enhancing certain key genes in the hippocampus while inhibiting genes essential for mitochondrial function. In line with our hypothesis, voluntary exercise promotes genes beneficial for synaptic plasticity and enhances specific genes reduced by risperidone, in female juvenile rats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114879"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"To stream or not to stream? Watching TV while eating promotes increased calorie consumption, but using a smartphone does not","authors":"Angela C. Incollingo Rodriguez,&nbsp;Mira S. Kirschner,&nbsp;Lorena S. Nunes","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The integration of technology throughout daily life has become a pervasive environmental influence with wide-ranging implications, including for how we eat. Previous research demonstrates that simultaneously eating and watching television (TV) leads to increased food consumption. However, the effects of smartphone use are still uncertain as the limited existing research has yielded conflicting findings.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Under the guise of being a study about multitasking, this research experimentally tested the influence of using technology (either TV or a smartphone) while eating compared to while eating undistracted among college students (N = 114).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants ate significantly more while watching TV versus while not. This difference was not observed among those using a smartphone.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings suggest that TV viewing likely continues to promote overeating, but smartphone use may not be associated with concurrent increased consumption. Nonetheless, future research is needed to understand effects on subsequent eating as well as interactive effects between smartphone use and TV viewing in modulating eating behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 114878"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143639787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}