Binding Affinity, Selectivity, and Pharmacokinetics of the Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist L-368,899 in the Coyote ().

L-368,899 is a selective small-molecule oxytocin receptor (OXTR) antagonist originally developed in the 1990s to prevent preterm labor. Although its utility for that purpose was limited, L-368,899 is now one of the most commonly used drugs in animal research for the selective blockade of neural OXTR after peripheral delivery. A growing number of rodent and primate studies have used L-368,899 to evaluate whether certain behaviors are oxytocin dependent.

Expression of bond-related behaviors affects titi monkey responsiveness to oxytocin and vasopressin treatments.

Social bonds influence physiology and behavior, which can shape how individuals respond to physical and affective challenges. Coppery titi monkey (Plecturocebus cupreus) offspring form selective bonds with their fathers, making them ideal for investigating how father-daughter bonds influence juveniles' responses to oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) manipulations. We quantified the expression of father-daughter bond-related behaviors in females (n = 10) and gave acute intranasal treatments of saline, low/medium/high OT, low/high AVP, or an OT receptor antagonist (OTA) to subjects prior to a parent preference test.

Pilot intervention to increase uptake of lung cancer screening through the emergency department.

Introduction: The goal of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of referring patients for lung cancer screening (LCS) from the emergency department (ED) as a method to increase the uptake of LCS.

Methods: This is a single-arm pilot study at a large safety-net ED. ED LCS-eligible patients were offered a referral to our LCS clinic upon ED discharge.

Effects of Dietary Fiber on Short Chain Fatty Acid Receptor mRNA in Microglia and Serotonergic Neurons in the Mouse Brain.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are bioactive lipids that are released into the colon as a metabolite of bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers. Beyond their function in the gastrointestinal tract, SCFAs can also have effects inthe brain, as a part of the gut-brain axis. Recent investigations into potential therapeutic interventions via the manipulation of the gut microbiome-and thus their SCFA metabolites-has been emerging as a new branch of personalized medicine,especially for mental health conditions.

Intranasal oxytocin does not change partner preference in female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus), but intranasal vasopressin decreases it.

Strong social bonds are critical to human health; however, the mechanisms by which social bonds are formed and maintained are still being elucidated. The neurohormones oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are considered likely candidates. Primate females, both human and nonhuman, remain understudied populations.

Titi monkey father-daughter bond-related behaviors explain stress response variability.

Social interactions regulate our behavior and physiology, and strong social bonds can buffer us from stress. Coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) are socially monogamous South American monkeys that display strong social bonds. Infants form selective bonds with their fathers, making them ideal for studying father-daughter bonds.

Parental experience is linked with lower vasopressin receptor 1a binding and decreased postpartum androgens in titi monkeys.

Parenting induces many neurological and behavioral changes that enable parents to rear offspring. Vasopressin plays an important role in this process via its effects on cognition, affect, and neuroplasticity, and in some cases, via interactions with decreased parental androgens. Thus far, the role of these hormones has been primarily studied in rodents.

Neural correlates and effect of jealousy on cognitive flexibility in the female titi monkey (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Jealousy is a social emotion that manifests as behavioral reactions from an individual toward a threat to a valuable relationship. Monogamous species exhibit jealousy-type behaviors as an adaptive response to preserve the relationship. Jealousy is also a complex, negatively-valenced emotion which may include fear of loss, anxiety, suspiciousness, and anger.

Neural and behavioral reactions to partners and strangers in monogamous female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Pair bonding in humans and other socially monogamous species can have positive effects on health and well-being. These attachments also come with the potential for challenges such as separation, jealousy, or grief. Much of the work on the neurobiology of pair bonding in non-human primates has been carried out in coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus), a monogamous South American monkey, although these studies have been primarily in males.

Can a traditional partner preference test quantify monogamous behavior in captive coyotes?

Social monogamy is a unique social system exhibited by only 3-5% of mammalian taxa; however, all wild canid species exhibit this social system. Despite the high prevalence of social monogamy among canids, little is known about how they form selective social attachment relationships among non-kin. Thus, we aimed to quantify monogamous behavior in a highly ubiquitous canid, the coyote (Canis latrans).

Effect of sex and autism spectrum disorder on oxytocin receptor binding and mRNA expression in the dopaminergic pars compacta of the human substantia nigra.

Oxytocin is an endogenous neuropeptide hormone that influences social behaviour and bonding in mammals. Variations in oxytocin receptor (OXTR) expression may play a role in the social deficits seen in autism spectrum disorder. Previous studies from our laboratory found a dense population of OXTR in the human substantia nigra (SN), a basal ganglia structure in the midbrain that is important in both movement and reward pathways.

The antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of cannabinoids in chronic unpredictable stress: a preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis.

Neuroscience research presents contradictory evidence in support of both the protective and destructive effects of cannabinoids in depression. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing preclinical literature on the effects of cannabinoid administration in the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in order to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids and identify gaps in the literature. After protocol registration (PROSPERO #CRD42020219986), we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, APA PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from the earliest record of the databases, February 1964, to November 2020 for articles that met inclusion criteria (e.

Long term effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin on adult pair bonding behavior and brain glucose uptake in titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Intranasal oxytocin (IN OXT) administration has been proposed as a pharmacological treatment for a range of biomedical conditions including neurodevelopmental disorders. However, studies evaluating the potential long-lasting effects of chronic IN OXT during development are still scarce. Here we conducted a follow-up study of a cohort of adult titi monkeys that received intranasal oxytocin 0.

Using Receptor Autoradiography to Visualize and Quantify Oxytocin and Vasopressin 1a Receptors in the Human and Nonhuman Primate Brain.

Despite its development almost 40 years ago, receptor autoradiography remains a regular and reliable practice for the localization of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors in brain tissue sections. It is used across many laboratories, institutions, and animal species to characterize and quantify the distribution and density of these receptors at baseline and/or in response to experimental manipulations or lived experience. This powerful tool and the neuroanatomical receptor maps that it generates have allowed researchers to more accurately investigate and understand the neural substrates upon which oxytocin and vasopressin act to affect behavior.

Compositional variation in early-life parenting structures alters oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptor development in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

Paternal absence can significantly alter bio-behavioural development in many biparental species. This effect has generally been demonstrated by comparing the development of offspring reared under biparental care with those reared by a single mother. However, studies employing this design conflate two significant modifications to early-life experience: removal of father-specific qualities and the general reduction of offspring-directed care.

Neural correlates of mating system diversity: oxytocin and vasopressin receptor distributions in monogamous and non-monogamous Eulemur.

Contemporary theory that emphasizes the roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in mammalian sociality has been shaped by seminal vole research that revealed interspecific variation in neuroendocrine circuitry by mating system. However, substantial challenges exist in interpreting and translating these rodent findings to other mammalian groups, including humans, making research on nonhuman primates crucial. Both monogamous and non-monogamous species exist within Eulemur, a genus of strepsirrhine primate, offering a rare opportunity to broaden a comparative perspective on oxytocin and vasopressin neurocircuitry with increased evolutionary relevance to humans.

Cannabinoid receptor Type 1 densities reflect social organization in Microtus.

Across many species, endocannabinoids play an important role in regulating social play, reward, and anxiety. These processes are mediated through at least two distinct cannabinoid receptors (CB), CB1 and CB2. CB1 expression is found in appreciable densities across regions of the brain that integrate memory with socio-spatial information; many of these regions have been directly linked to the neurobiology of pair bonding in monogamous species.

An open trial of app-assisted acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) for eating disorders in type 1 diabetes.

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) among individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) increase the risk of early and severe diabetes-related medical complications and premature death. Conventional eating disorder (ED) treatments have been largely ineffective for T1D patients, indicating the need to tailor treatments to this patient population and the unique conditions under which ED symptoms emerge (in the context of a chronic illness with unrelenting demands to control blood glucose, diet and exercise). The current study was a pilot open trial of iACT, a novel intervention for EDs in T1D grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Developmental Fluoxetine Exposure Alters Behavior and Neuropeptide Receptors in the Prairie Vole.

Developmental exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) increases the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), however, the underlying neurobiology of this effect is not fully understood. Here we used the socially monogamous prairie vole as a translational model of developmental SSRI exposure. Paired female prairie voles ( = 20) were treated with 5 mg/kg subcutaneous fluoxetine (FLX) or saline (SAL) daily from birth of the second litter until the day of birth of the 4th litter.

Effects of chronic intranasal oxytocin on behavior and cerebral glucose uptake in juvenile titi monkeys.

Intranasal oxytocin (IN OXT) has been proposed as a treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, little is known about the effects of long-term exposure. This is the first study in a non-human primate species to examine how developmental exposure to chronic IN OXT affects juvenile's interactions with family members, social preference for parents versus strangers, anxiety-like behavior, and cerebral glucose metabolism. Titi monkeys are socially monogamous and biparental; their family bonds share important characteristics with human family bonds.

Brief mindfulness training enhances cognitive control in socioemotional contexts: Behavioral and neural evidence.

In social contexts, the dynamic nature of others' emotions places unique demands on attention and emotion regulation. Mindfulness, characterized by heightened and receptive moment-to-moment attending, may be well-suited to meet these demands. In particular, mindfulness may support more effective cognitive control in social situations via efficient deployment of top-down attention.

Non-invasive Eye Tracking Methods for New World and Old World Monkeys.

Eye-tracking methods measure what humans and other animals visually attend to in the environment. In nonhuman primates, eye tracking can be used to test hypotheses about how primates process social information. This information can further our understanding of primate behavior as well as offer unique translational potential to explore causes of or treatments for altered social processing as seen in people with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Effect of age and autism spectrum disorder on oxytocin receptor density in the human basal forebrain and midbrain.

The prosocial hormone oxytocin (OXT) has become a new target for research on the etiology and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition characterized by deficits in social function. However, it remains unknown whether there are alterations in OXT receptor (OXTR) levels in the ASD brain. This study quantified the density of OXTR and of the structurally related vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a) in postmortem brain tissue from individuals with ASD and typically developing individuals.

Nonapeptide Receptor Distributions in Promising Avian Models for the Neuroecology of Flocking.

Collective behaviors, including flocking and group vocalizing, are readily observable across a diversity of free-living avian populations, yet we know little about how neural and ecological factors interactively regulate these behaviors. Because of their involvement in mediating a variety of social behaviors, including avian flocking, nonapeptides are likely mediators of collective behaviors. To advance the neuroecological study of collective behaviors in birds, we sought to map the neuroanatomical distributions of nonapeptide receptors in three promising avian models that are found across a diversity of environments and widely ranging ecological conditions: European starlings, house sparrows, and rock doves.

Oxytocin, vasopressin, and primate behavior: Diversity and insight.

It has become increasingly clear that the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin have more diverse behavioral and physiological effects across species and across individuals than was initially recognized. To reflect this variation, we would like to introduce our Special Issue, entitled Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Primate Behavior, by celebrating the diversity that is found across the articles within it. While every article directly addresses the topic of this Special Issue, they also vary in many characteristics: the species studied, the methods used, and the perspectives taken.