Credit: Unsplash/CC0 public domainA new study has shown that watching a mother mouse bring her pups into the nest helps other mice to do the same parenting task. These observations also lead to the biochemically shaping of the maternal behavior of virgin female mice by oxytocin production in their brains, even before they have their own pups.Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine led the experiment. They filmed female mice interacted with newborns and virgin mice around the clock. Multiple brain regions were simultaneously scanned for oxytocin production or believed to be responding to it. This research team re-examined its previous studies on the so-called pleasurehormone, which showed that oxytocin release is crucial for both the initiation of breastfeeding and other maternal behaviors.Researchers published their findings in Nature online August 11. Within 24 hours, the mothers began to mimic the behavior of the virgins and started to bring their pups into the nest. The pup-retrieving task would be completed almost as quickly by virgin mice, who had only seen their mother through a transparent plastic window.Researchers also measured brain activity in virgin mice when they were born and afterward. The researchers found that the sound and sight of crying babies outside their nest stimulated oxytocin release in a particular region of the brain called the hypothalamic parventricular nucleus (PVN). However, chemically blocking any of oxytocin-producing PVN neural pathways or visuals prevented virgin mice learning how to care for pups.In demonstration of shepherding behavior, mother mouse at top tries to get virgin mouse (bottom), into her nest. Credit: NYU LangoneRobert Froemke (Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medical Medicine at NYU Langone Health), senior investigator of the study, said that "our study shows that mice are best able to be moms by watching and learning from experienced mothers." We believe similar mechanisms may exist in human mothers, based on the evidence.Froemke believes the rodent study results add scientific support to the benefits of parenting classes for humans. The team plans to next examine whether tutoring relationships exist between father mice and virgin males.Froemke is also a professor at NYU Langone's departments of Neuroscience and Physiology and Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.Researchers analyzed almost 5,000 hours of video footage (over six years) showing several dozen mother mice interacted with their pups as well as virgin mice.More information: Oxytocin neuron enable social transmissions of maternal behaviour, Nature (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03814-7 Journal information: Nature Oxytocin neurons enable social transmission of maternal behaviour,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03814-7
