The Journal of Neuroscience, April 15, 2003, 23(8):3483
A Critical Role for Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine in
Partner-Preference Formation in Male Prairie Voles
Brandon J.
Aragona,
Yan
Liu,
J. Thomas
Curtis,
Friedrich K.
Stephan, and
Zuoxin
Wang
Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1270
Although the role of nucleus accumbens (NAcc) dopamine (DA) in
reward learning has been extensively studied, few investigations have
addressed its involvement in learning socially relevant information. Here, we have examined the involvement of NAcc DA in social attachment of the "monogamous" prairie vole (Microtus
orchrogaster). We first demonstrated that DA is necessary for
the formation of social attachment in male prairie voles, because
administration of haloperidol blocked, whereas apomorphine induced,
partner-preference formation. We then provided the first descriptions
of DA neuroanatomy and tissue content in vole NAcc, and mating appeared
to induce a 33% increase in DA turnover. We also showed that
administration of haloperidol directly into the NAcc blocked partner
preferences induced by mating and apomorphine. In addition,
administration of apomorphine into the NAcc but not the caudate putamen
induced partner preferences in the absence of mating. Together, our
data support the hypothesis that NAcc DA is critical for pair-bond formation in male prairie voles.
Key words:
dopamine; nucleus accumbens; pair bonding; apomorphine; haloperidol; tyrosine hydroxylase; dopamine transporter; mating
Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/03/2383483-08$05.00/0
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