MATERNAL BEHAVIOR INDUCED BY MATERNAL BLOOD PLASMA INJECTED INTO VIRGIN RATS

INDUCTION OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOR (I.E., RETRIEVING) IN VIRGINS BY EXPOSURE TO YOUNG PUPS WAS STUDIED TO INVESTIGATE EFFECTS OF BLOOD PLASMA FROM A POSTPARTURIENT FEMALE. CONTROL GROUPS WERE INJECTED WITH BLOOD PLASMA FROM NONMATERNAL FEMALES IN PROESTRUS AND DIESTRUS PHASES OF THE VAGINAL ESTROUS CYCLE AND WITH SALINE SOLUTION. VIRGINS INJECTED WITH MATERNAL BLOOD PLASMA HAD SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER LATENCIES OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOR THAN OTHER GROUPS. INJECTIONS OF SALINE AND PROESTRUS BLOOD PLASMA HAD NO EFFECT ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR. VIRGINS INJECTED WITH DIESTRUS BLOOD PLASMA WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED IN DISPLAYING MATERNAL BEHAVIOR. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A HUMORAL BASIS FOR THE APPEARANCE OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOR AFTER PARTURITION. (15 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.