title: Induction of maternal behavior in rats: Effects of pseudopregnancy termination and placenta-smeared pups
creator: Steuer, M. A.
creator: Thompson, A. C.
creator: Doerr, J. C.
creator: Youakim, M.
creator: Kristal, M. B.
subject: Behavioral Neuroscience
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Behavioral Biology
subject: Comparative Psychology
subject: Neurochemistry
subject: Neuroendocrinology
subject: Physiological Psychology
subject: Psychobiology
description: The onset of maternal behavior in Long-Evans rats was examined after pseudopregnancy (PsP) termination, both with and without exogenous estrogen administration, and in response to either clean or placenta-smeared stimulus pups. Natural (spontaneous) PsP termination was as effective in hastening the onset of maternal behavior as ovariectomy plus estrogen injection. If clean foster pups were presented as soon as pseudopregnancy terminated (first proestrus or cornified smear), maternal behavior was exhibited within 2 days; placenta-smeared foster pups presented at the same time elicited maternal behavior within 2 hr. The combination of initiating maternal- behavior testing immediately after the natural termination of pseudopregnancy and proffering placenta-smeared pups apparently simulates the hormonal milieu as well as the environmental cues present at parturition, noninvasively, producing optimal conditions for the rapid induction of maternal behavior.
date: 1987
type: Journal (Paginated)
type: PeerReviewed
format: text/html
identifier: http://cogprints.org/71/1/psp.htm
identifier:   Steuer, M. A. and Thompson, A. C. and Doerr, J. C. and Youakim, M. and Kristal, M. B.  (1987) Induction of maternal behavior in rats: Effects of pseudopregnancy termination and placenta-smeared pups.  [Journal (Paginated)]     
relation: http://cogprints.org/71/