TY - JOUR
T1 - Lipopolysaccharide facilitates partner preference behaviors in female prairie voles
AU - Bilbo, Staci D.
AU - Klein, Sabra L.
AU - Devries, A. Courtney
AU - Nelson, Randy J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Josh Pahys and Susan Mozzicato for assistance with cohabitation and preference test video scoring. This research was supported by NIMH Grant MH 57535 and NSF Grant IBN 97-23420.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Exposure to proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces an acute activation of the immune response and results in a repertoire of behavioral patterns collectively termed sickness behaviors. Although nonspecific responses to pathogenic infection have traditionally been viewed as maladaptive effects of infection, sickness behaviors may have significant, adaptive value for the host. One set of adaptive behaviors affected by infection among mammals and birds is mate choice. In Experiment 1, female prairie voles exhibited the expected increase in blood corticosterone concentrations in response to a 0.1 cc i.p. LPS injection (50 μg), indicating activation of the endocrine system. A separate cohort of females was injected with LPS or saline and paired for 6 h with a novel, previously unpaired male. Following the cohabitation period, LPS- injected females spent significantly more time (p < 0.05) with the familiar partner when given a choice between familiar and unfamiliar males in a three- chamber apparatus designed to test partner preferences. Saline-injected females spent significantly more time with the unfamiliar male. In Experiment 2, males injected with LPS or saline spent equal amounts of time with familiar and unfamiliar females following a 6 h cohabitation with a naive female, and therefore, did not exhibit preferences. From a proximate perspective, this study provides evidence that sickness behaviors influence female, but not male, partner preference in prairie voles.
AB - Exposure to proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces an acute activation of the immune response and results in a repertoire of behavioral patterns collectively termed sickness behaviors. Although nonspecific responses to pathogenic infection have traditionally been viewed as maladaptive effects of infection, sickness behaviors may have significant, adaptive value for the host. One set of adaptive behaviors affected by infection among mammals and birds is mate choice. In Experiment 1, female prairie voles exhibited the expected increase in blood corticosterone concentrations in response to a 0.1 cc i.p. LPS injection (50 μg), indicating activation of the endocrine system. A separate cohort of females was injected with LPS or saline and paired for 6 h with a novel, previously unpaired male. Following the cohabitation period, LPS- injected females spent significantly more time (p < 0.05) with the familiar partner when given a choice between familiar and unfamiliar males in a three- chamber apparatus designed to test partner preferences. Saline-injected females spent significantly more time with the unfamiliar male. In Experiment 2, males injected with LPS or saline spent equal amounts of time with familiar and unfamiliar females following a 6 h cohabitation with a naive female, and therefore, did not exhibit preferences. From a proximate perspective, this study provides evidence that sickness behaviors influence female, but not male, partner preference in prairie voles.
KW - Corticosterone
KW - Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
KW - Partner preference
KW - Sickness behavior
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U2 - 10.1016/S0031-9384(99)00154-7
DO - 10.1016/S0031-9384(99)00154-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 10627074
AN - SCOPUS:0033457368
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 68
SP - 151
EP - 156
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 1-2
ER -