Meeting Abstract

19.6  Sunday, Jan. 4  Neuroplasticity Following Paternal Experience in Two Congeneric Species FRANSSEN, C.L.*; KARSNER, S.; TU, E.; HYER, M.M.; LAMBERT, K.G.; Randolph-Macon College; Randolph-Macon College; Randolph-Macon College; Randolph-Macon College; Randolph-Macon College catherinefranssen@rmc.edu

Both the behavioral and hormonal experiences of pregnancy, birth, and lactation have been shown to significantly alter and enhance the maternal brain, a situation which improves the survival chances of both the mother and her offspring. Neurobiological enhancements in the hippocampus include, but are not limited to, increases in long-term potentiation and dendritic spine density. Little is known, however, about the neurobiological implications of paternal care. Roughly 6% of mammalian species exhibit male parental care, generally in environments with particularly challenging ecological profiles. In this study we explore behavioral and neurobiological consequences of paternal experience in the monogamous, bi-parental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) and the polygamous, non-paternal congeneric Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Specifically, neuroplasticity was evaluated -using nestin immunoreactivity (an intermediate filament indicative of cellular growth in the brain)- in the hippocampus of adult males of each species with variable paternal experiences (males with families, pup-exposed virgins, and virgins with no pup exposure). Preliminary results for P.californicus indicate a non-significant trend: the full paternal males had 150% more cells than the virgin males with no pup exposure and 60% more cells than the virgin males with pup-exposure. These results suggest that the parental experience changes the paternal brain in a similar pattern previously observed in maternal animals.