Tactile stimulation during artificial rearing influences adult function and morphology in a sexually dimorphic neuromuscular system

Developmental Neurobiology
Kathryn M LenzD Ashley Monks

Abstract

Maternal licking of rat pups affects the development of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB), a sexually dimorphic motor nucleus that controls penile reflexes involved with copulation. Maternal licking influences SNB motoneurons, with reductions in licking producing decreased SNB number, size, and dendritic length in adulthood. Reduced maternal licking also produces deficits in adult male copulatory behavior. In this experiment, we used an artificial rearing paradigm to assess the potential role of tactile stimulation in mediating the effects of maternal licking on the SNB neuromuscular system. During artificial rearing, pups were stroked with a paintbrush to mimic maternal licking, receiving low, medium, or high levels of daily stimulation. In adulthood, ex copula penile reflex behavior was tested and the morphology of SNB motoneurons assessed. SNB motoneurons were retrogradely labeled with cholera toxin-conjugated HRP and dendritic arbor was reconstructed in three dimensions. Animals that received low levels of stimulation showed deficits in penile reflexes relative to maternally reared controls, including a longer latency to erection, fewer cup erections, and fewer erection clusters. SNB dendritic morphology was a...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 30, 2012·Biology of Sex Differences·Ashlyn Swift-GallantD Ashley Monks
Dec 23, 2011·The Journal of Sexual Medicine·Michael D StaudtLique M Coolen
Aug 19, 2015·Biology of Sex Differences·Geert J de Vries, Nancy G Forger
Dec 18, 2020·International Journal of Impotence Research·Carlos E Aguilar-PérezRosa Angélica Lucio

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