Abstract
BackgroundSocial subjugation is a very significant and natural stressor in the animal kingdom. Adult animals defeated and subjugated during establishment of dominance hierarchies or territorial encounters can be highly submissive in future agonistic interactions. While much is know about the biological and behavioral consequences of winning and losing fights in adulthood, little is known about adolescence; a developmental period noted for impulsivity and heightened agonistic behavior. The present studies were undertaken to determine if the behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of social subjugation are comparable in adolescent versus adult Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Male siblings were studied from adolescence into adulthood following exposure to counterbalanced episodes of either a benign stressor, i.e., isolation in a novel cage, or the more severe stressor of social subjugation.ResultsAs adults, hamsters with a history of social subjugation in adolescence show high levels of aggression toward intruders as compared to siblings subjugated in adulthood. Sibling controls subjugated in adulthood are highly submissive with little or no aggressive behavior. However, when subjugated in adulthood, hamsters with the earlier history of subjugation are no different than their sibling controls, i.e., adult subjugation promotes submissive behavior. Sexual motivation is high in adult hamsters with adolescent subjugation and testosterone levels remained stable over adulthood. In contrast, sibling controls subjugated in adulthood show lower levels of sexual motivation and reduced levels of testosterone. Release of cortisol during agonistic encounters is blunted in animals subjugated in adolescence but not adulthood. Measures of anxiety are reduced in hamsters with adolescent subjugation as compared to their sibling controls.ConclusionThese data demonstrate a pronounced difference in behavior and neuroendocrinology between adolescent and adult hamsters in their response to social subjugation and suggest adolescence is a resilient period in development.
Highlights
Social subjugation is a very significant and natural stressor in the animal kingdom
(page number not for citation purposes) http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/2/1/7 (FtMoAofiegIqt)auhuseraueidrrer2sainbotlfsinGtgrseanviseorlasaletBeddeihninaovanioderosml:eiSsnch)eoanwncdne am(oroepuetnhnteblmatre)ananccyrscofossreahsac(mh+asSnteEgrMinsg)infsoiotricasilaleylehsduisfbtinojudrgyiantogef(dtaidimnuelatdinsoulsbeesjcucogeanntdciose)n,(bm(AlaoSctk)oorbrarca)tdiavusilttycios(nomulapmtairobeendr Measures of General Behaviors: Shown are the mean scores (+ SEM) for seed finding, motor activity and mount latency for hamsters initially subjugated in adolescence as compared to their siblings isolated in adolescence across a changing social history of adult subjugation (AS) or adult isolation (AI). (* p
Adolescence is a time of enhanced physical growth, driven, in part, by rising testosterone levels culminating in sexual maturity
Summary
Social subjugation is a very significant and natural stressor in the animal kingdom. Adult animals defeated and subjugated during establishment of dominance hierarchies or territorial encounters can be highly submissive in future agonistic interactions. Male siblings were studied from adolescence into adulthood following exposure to counterbalanced episodes of either a benign stressor, i.e., isolation in a novel cage, or the more severe stressor of social subjugation. Social subjugation is a natural stressor in the animal kingdom with long-term behavioral consequences. Adult male rhesus monkeys that fight for dominance status and lose are relegated to the lowest social rank displaying highly submissive behavior [1]. Following repeated defeat by a dominant conspecific, a resident hamster will be defensive or fearful of equal sized non aggressive intruders [6,7,8]
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