對(duì)小鼠的一項(xiàng)研究表明，在爭(zhēng)斗中取勝可能觸發(fā)激勵(lì)侵略性行為的神經(jīng)回路,，而且可能增強(qiáng)個(gè)人在未來(lái)贏得爭(zhēng)斗的能力。
Matthew Fuxjager及其同事為有領(lǐng)地的雄性小鼠提供在它們自己的家或者不熟悉的籠子里的取勝經(jīng)驗(yàn),，方法是向它們提供更小以及無(wú)性經(jīng)驗(yàn)的雄性,，然后分析了這種動(dòng)物在連續(xù)三次勝利之后大腦的變化。這組科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn),，與沒(méi)有爭(zhēng)斗的對(duì)照組小鼠相比,，在自己家和其他籠子中取勝的小鼠表現(xiàn)出了在被認(rèn)為能夠影響社會(huì)侵略性的大腦區(qū)域中雄性激素受體表達(dá)的增加。
然而,，只有在自己家贏得勝利的小鼠的大腦表現(xiàn)出了在掌管動(dòng)機(jī)和獎(jiǎng)賞的兩個(gè)區(qū)域的激素敏感性的增加,。與在不熟悉的籠子里贏得爭(zhēng)斗的小鼠相比，“在家”贏得爭(zhēng)斗的小鼠也在后續(xù)的爭(zhēng)斗中更多地戰(zhàn)勝了更大和有性經(jīng)驗(yàn)的小鼠,。這組作者提出,，勝利的經(jīng)驗(yàn)可能驅(qū)動(dòng)著取決于勝利位置的神經(jīng)變化。(生物谷Bioon.net)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1001394107
Winning territorial disputes selectively enhances androgen sensitivity in neural pathways related to motivation and social aggression
Matthew J. Fuxjagera,1, Robin M. Forbes-Lormanb, Dylan J. Cossb, Catherine J. Augerb, Anthony P. Augerb, and Catherine A. Marlera,b
Winning aggressive disputes can enhance future fighting ability and the desire to seek out additional contests. In some instances, these effects are long lasting and vary in response to the physical location of a fight. Thus, in principle, winning aggressive encounters may cause long-term and context-dependent changes to brain areas that control the output of antagonistic behavior or the motivation to fight (or both). We examined this issue in the territorial California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) because males of this species are more likely to win fights after accruing victories in their home territory but not after accruing victories in unfamiliar locations. Using immunocytochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR, we found that winning fights either at home or away increases the expression of androgen receptors (AR) in the medial anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a key brain area that controls social aggression. We also found that AR expression in brain regions that mediate motivation and reward, nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), increases only in response to fights in the home territory. These effects of winning were likely exclusive to the neural androgenic system because they have no detectible impact on the expression of progestin receptors. Finally, we demonstrated that the observed changes in androgen sensitivity in the NAcc and VTA are positively associated with the ability to win aggressive contests. Thus, winning fights can change brain phenotype in a manner that likely promotes future victory and possibly primes neural circuits that motivate individuals to fight.
