Examining Oxytocin Modulation of Trigeminal Sensory Circuitry in Neonatal Mice
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| Title: | Examining Oxytocin Modulation of Trigeminal Sensory Circuitry in Neonatal Mice |
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| Authors: | N/A |
| Committee Members: | Day, Katherine Rose (author); Hammock, Elizabeth Anne Dunn (professor directing dissertation); Dennis, Jonathan Hancock (university representative); Dewan, Adam Kabir (committee member); Fadool, Debra Ann (committee member); Meyer, Alexandria (committee member); Florida State University (degree granting institution); College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college); Department of Psychology (degree granting department) |
| Summary: | The survival of mammalian infants is dependent on the presence and actions of a reliable caregiver at birth. When physical and psychological needs are reliably met by their caregiver, the infant begins to form an emotional bond called a secure attachment. As the infant grows, they attune to sensory cues such as olfaction, somatosensation, audition, and vision to differentiate between their caregiver and other members of their species. This makes the integration of social and sensory cues an important step in attachment formation. In instances of abuse or neglect, infants, and children whose needs are not reliably met, may develop a different bond called insecure attachment. Irregular parental care, such as in abuse and neglect, or a medically necessary isolation from a caregiver like admission into a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), prevent the child from developing secure attachments. In this dissertation, both unexpected maternal separation and biological disruptions to the oxytocin receptor system were investigated to further understand oxytocin in sensory-dependent development during the infant attachment period. Chapter 1 of this dissertation reviews the role of oxytocin in sensory-dependent attachment. In Chapter 2, the behavior of neonatal mice in response to tactile stimulation with topical oxytocin treatment is evaluated. This chapter also establishes several novel techniques for neonatal mice, including a neonatal mouse ethogram and a method for prolonged social isolation immediately after birth, with a surprising survival rate of nearly 100%. The method for prolonged neonatal social isolation established preliminary data that challenge previous beliefs that a mother mouse must be 1) experienced, 2) spend time to bond with pups, and 3) nurse newborn pups prior to experimental manipulation in order for the pups to be accepted and cared for by the dam when returned to the nest. Chapter 3 evaluates trigeminal touch sensitive circuitry that also contains oxytocin receptor (OXTR) with observation of neuronal plasticity (perineuronal nets) of Oxtr-EGFP cells in the whisker barrel cortex and neuronal activity (cFos) in the periventricular nucleus. While most of this dissertation focuses on oxytocin and oxytocin receptor, Chapter 4 describes another receptor that is reactive to oxytocin, vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1A), present in the periphery of neonatal mice. While Chapters 1-3 consider the role of OXT and OXTR in neonatal development, Chapter 4 considers alternate sites sensitive to OXT ligand, that could create potential off target effects of OXT-treatments, as well as a naturally occurring alternate activation site for naturally occurring OXT (endogenous and exogenous). The findings of this dissertation are summarized in Chapter 5 where final conclusions and future directions are proposed. |
| Database: | OpenDissertations |
| Abstract: | The survival of mammalian infants is dependent on the presence and actions of a reliable caregiver at birth. When physical and psychological needs are reliably met by their caregiver, the infant begins to form an emotional bond called a secure attachment. As the infant grows, they attune to sensory cues such as olfaction, somatosensation, audition, and vision to differentiate between their caregiver and other members of their species. This makes the integration of social and sensory cues an important step in attachment formation. In instances of abuse or neglect, infants, and children whose needs are not reliably met, may develop a different bond called insecure attachment. Irregular parental care, such as in abuse and neglect, or a medically necessary isolation from a caregiver like admission into a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), prevent the child from developing secure attachments. In this dissertation, both unexpected maternal separation and biological disruptions to the oxytocin receptor system were investigated to further understand oxytocin in sensory-dependent development during the infant attachment period. Chapter 1 of this dissertation reviews the role of oxytocin in sensory-dependent attachment. In Chapter 2, the behavior of neonatal mice in response to tactile stimulation with topical oxytocin treatment is evaluated. This chapter also establishes several novel techniques for neonatal mice, including a neonatal mouse ethogram and a method for prolonged social isolation immediately after birth, with a surprising survival rate of nearly 100%. The method for prolonged neonatal social isolation established preliminary data that challenge previous beliefs that a mother mouse must be 1) experienced, 2) spend time to bond with pups, and 3) nurse newborn pups prior to experimental manipulation in order for the pups to be accepted and cared for by the dam when returned to the nest. Chapter 3 evaluates trigeminal touch sensitive circuitry that also contains oxytocin receptor (OXTR) with observation of neuronal plasticity (perineuronal nets) of Oxtr-EGFP cells in the whisker barrel cortex and neuronal activity (cFos) in the periventricular nucleus. While most of this dissertation focuses on oxytocin and oxytocin receptor, Chapter 4 describes another receptor that is reactive to oxytocin, vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1A), present in the periphery of neonatal mice. While Chapters 1-3 consider the role of OXT and OXTR in neonatal development, Chapter 4 considers alternate sites sensitive to OXT ligand, that could create potential off target effects of OXT-treatments, as well as a naturally occurring alternate activation site for naturally occurring OXT (endogenous and exogenous). The findings of this dissertation are summarized in Chapter 5 where final conclusions and future directions are proposed. |
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