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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Efficacy and dosage titration study of mibolerone for treatment of pseudopregnancy in the bitch.

A controlled, blind-labeled, dose-response field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of mibolerone as a treatment for pseudopregnancy in the bitch. Bitches were treated orally for 5 consecutive days with one of the following dosages of mibolerone: 0.008, 0.016, or 0.025 mg/kg of body weight. Changes in psychologic signs (nesting behavior, mothering inanimate objects, and self-nursing) or physical signs (mammary gland enlargement and secretion of a liquid or milk, ie, galactorrhea) were noted. The period within which the improvement occurred also was noted. There were 63 cases distributed over the 3 dosages--19 at 0.008 mg/kg, 22 at 0.016 mg/kg, and 22 at 0.025 mg/kg. Seventeen bitches given a placebo served as controls. There were significant differences in improvement of clinical signs among the dosages for the combinations of psychologic (P less than 0.001), physical (P less than 0.01), psychologic or physical (P less than 0.001), and psychologic and physical (P less than 0.001). The projected optimal dosages were: 0.016 mg/kg, 0.013 mg/kg, 0.014 mg/kg, and 0.015 mg/kg for the psychologic, physical, psychologic or physical, and psychologic and physical signs, respectively. Of the 3 dosages used, 0.016 mg/kg (for 5 consecutive days) was estimated to be optimal for improvement of the physiologic signs of pseudopregnancy.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lead induced alterations in maternal behavior and offspring development in the rat.

The study was designed to determine whether lead ingestion by nursing rats would affect dam-pup interaction. Dams were exposed to diets with 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 or 1.0 percent by weight metallic lead. Mean blood-lead levels of pups at weaning were 3, 19, 40 and 57 micrograms/100 ml of blood respectively. Maternal behavior was assessed by videotaping behavior for complete 24 hour periods on alternate days from birth to weaning. Analysis of data revealed that lead affected dams nursed for longer periods than normal and offspring were slower to explore their environment. It was concluded that altered maternal behavior was related to delays in pup development and the functional isolation of experimental pups from their environment may be the antecedent to altered behavior later in maturity.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Mummified fetus associated with uterine rupture in a New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

A one-year old female New Zealand white rabbit was examined for anorexia 1 week following observed nesting behavior. On palpation of the abdomen, a freely movable mass was found, and radiography demonstrated a skeletal structure consistent with a fetus. The rabbit was killed, and at necropsy a mummified fetus with a placental remnant was present in the abdomen adjacent to an area of thickening of the left horn of the uterus. Histologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of recent uterine rupture.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Effects of transecting lateral neural connections of the medial preoptic area on maternal behavior in the rat: nest building, pup retrieval and prolactin secretion.

In lactating female rats bilateral parasagittal cuts transecting the dorsolateral neural connections of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) abolished nest building and retrieving components of maternal behavior, while crouching and nursing were unaffected. While few animals with these cuts were suckled when presented with pups the prolactin secretion response was undiminished when suckling did occur. Whereas previous studies have demonstrated that extensive surgical separation of the medial preoptic area-anterior hypothalamic continuum from the lateral preoptic area-lateral hypothalamus disrupts all aspects of maternal behavior, the present study has determined more specifically the zone of fibers essential for the active components of maternal behavior, i.e., nest building and retrieving. These fibers appear to enter/leave MPO dorsolaterally beneath the crossing of the anterior commissure in the region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. These neural connections are not the same as those that regulate prolactin secretion in the lactating rat.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lead exposure, environmental temperature, nesting and consummatory behavior of adult male mice of two ages.

Both younger (60-day-old) and older (365-day-old) male, heterogeneous stock mice were exposed to either a 0.5% lead acetate solution or water as their sole source of fluid for four weeks prior to testing their nest building and consummatory behavior in a temperature chamber. During the three weeks in the temperature chambers lead and water maintenance were continued, and fluid and food consumption, body weight and nest building were monitored. Temperature in the chambers was 21 degrees C during the first week, then reduced to 5 degrees C during the second week, and returned to 21 degrees C in the last week of testing. In general, younger animals responded more rapidly and more intensely than older mice to changes in temperature as reflected in consummatory behavior, but lead ingestion decreased the magnitude of the change in fluid intake. Lead ingestion also altered the pattern of change in food ingestion of older mice as a function of the reduced temperature challenge. The complexity of nests built increased when temperatures were lowered from 21 degrees C to 5 degrees C, but this measure was unaffected by lead ingestion or age.

Aging↗
PubMed1975

Estrogen-progesterone regulation of nest-building and incubation behavior in ovariectomized ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

The role of ovarian hormones in the induction of nest-building (tucking) and incubation behavior in female doves (Streptopelia risoria) was determined by systemic injections of estrogen, or progesterione, or estrogen combined with progesterone, or oil in reproductively experienced ovariectomized females. Combined estrogen and progesterone treatment was the most effective hormone regimen for eliciting both behavior patterns in females and also facilitated these behaviors in their untreated mates. Differences in role of the gonadal progesterone in male and female doves were discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of spatial allowance, group size and perches on the behavior of hens in cages with nests.

The behaviour of laying hens housed in 'welfare-improved' cages fitted with one nest per hen was investigated with manipulations of group size (two or four birds), spatial allowance excluding the nests (600 cm2 or 1200 cm2 per bird) and perch provision (presence or absence). More time was spent in the nests by birds housed at 600 cm2 than at 1200 cm2, and by birds housed in pairs than in four. Perch provision had no significant effect on time spent in the nest but resulted in reduced nest soiling by birds housed at 1200 cm2, and increased 'comfort' behaviour by some groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Nest defense and survival of offspring in highly aggressive wild Canadian female house mice.

Nest defense behavior was examined in wild female house mice (Mus domesticus) that were derived from a stock initially trapped in Alberta, Canada. The first objective was to determine whether behavior toward pups prior to mating was related to the intensity of postpartum aggression in a variety of social situations. Therefore, prior to the experiments we screened virgin females for their behavior toward a newborn pup [60% of the females exhibited infanticide and 40% were noninfanticidal: 7% were parental (retrieved and hovered over the pup) and 33% ignored the pup]. Infanticidal and noninfanticidal females were then mated with males and used in four experiments. In Experiment 1 the females were housed individually prior to deliver, while in Experiment 2 the females were allowed to remain with their mates; in both situations all females successfully reared litters of similar sizes. Male and female intruders (that had all exhibited infanticide when previously tested with a pup) were placed separately into a test cage containing a lactating female during the first four days after delivery. Regardless of the presence of the stud male, previously infanticidal females were more aggressive (exhibited more attacks per min) toward both male and female intruders than were previously noninfanticidal females; infanticidal females also exhibited more of both forms of attack (offensive and defensive) and also attacked with greater intensity than did noninfanticidal females. The number of attacks toward intruders of both sexes increased for both infanticidal and noninfanticidal females between Day 1-4 postpartum, but very high rates of attack were observed on all days by the lactating females, including the day of delivery. In Experiments 3 and 4 only the most aggressive (previously infanticidal) females were tested. In Experiment 3, two unrelated, unfamiliar females were mated separately and then were housed together just prior to delivery, which was planned to occur 3-4 days apart. In 5 of the 15 cages, all pups disappeared on the day of delivery of the second female to deliver her litter. In the remaining 10 cages, it appeared that none of the pups produced by the 20 females were killed. Thus, in this experiment, 66% of pups survived to Day 4 postpartum. In Experiment 4, two previously infanticidal female siblings, which had been housed together since birth, were placed together with a stud male. In all 9 cages only one female became pregnant and delivered pups, but only 3 litters survived to Day 4 (no litters were observed being attacked during intruder tests).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aggression↗
PubMed1983

Mother-weanling interactions in Norway rats in the presence of a successive litter produced by postpartum mating.

When female Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) become pregnant at the postpartum estrus they nurse this first litter concurrently with the gestation of a second litter. This second gestation is of variable length (23-31 days in this study) We investigated the behavior of mothers and their older litters around the time the second litter was born. Six female rats gave birth and were mated at the postpartum estrus. Continuous videotaped observation of each female and litter began approximately 3 days before, and continued for 3 days after the birth of the second litter. We found that suckling behavior and nest attendance by the older litter did not necessarily end when the second litter was born. When the gestation length of the second litter was short (23-25 days) older pups continued to spend time in the nest and to nurse along with their newborn siblings. These older pups also spent much time on the nest even in the absence of their mother. When gestation was long (27-31 days) older pups were weaned before the birth of the second litter and spent less time on the nest with the newborns. Stereotyped attacks by the female against her weanling age pups were seen both pre- and postpartum. This maternal aggression did not appear to deter suckling and nest attendance by the weanlings.

Aggression↗
PubMed1990

Haloperidol-induced disruption of retrieval behavior and reversal with apomorphine in lactating rats.

Lactating rats were used in experiments to examine the role of the dopamine system in the regulation of ongoing maternal behavior. Administration of haloperidol disrupted retrieval behavior and nest building in a dose-dependent manner but not nursing behavior and pup licking. Feeding behavior including carrying of food pellets to the nest and general locomotor ability were not disrupted by haloperidol. Apomorphine effectively reversed the inhibition caused by dopaminergic blockade. These results indicate a role for dopamine in the motivational regulation of retrieval and nest building during the postpartum phase of maternal behavior.

Animals↗