| First Author | Thomas SA | Year | 1997 |
| Journal | Cell | Volume | 91 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 583-92 |
| PubMed ID | 9393852 | Mgi Jnum | J:44784 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1101323 | Doi | 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80446-8 |
| Citation | Thomas SA, et al. (1997) Impaired maternal behavior in mice lacking norepinephrine and epinephrine. Cell 91(5):583-92 |
| abstractText | The roles of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine in behavior were investigated by targeted disruption of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (Dbh) gene, thereby eliminating these compounds in vivo. Most heterozygous pups born to Dbh-/- females died within several days of birth and were often found scattered within the bedding. Potential causes including deficits in olfaction and lactation were not apparent. A deficit in maternal behavior was confirmed by the lack of pup retrieval exhibited by Dbh-/- virgin females. Restoration of NE shortly before but not after birth induced females that previously abandoned their litters to act maternally. Our results suggest that NE is responsible for long-lasting changes that promote maternal behavior during both development and parturition in mice. |
