Researchers report a link between nurturing behavior and prenatal environment in mice, finding that the offspring of Cin85?/? knockout mice, which had reduced levels of pituitary hormone prolactin (PRL), a molecule that influences maternal behavior, exhibited neglect-like behavior toward pups that they mothered; embryo transplantation experiments as well as PRL administration to Cin85?/? knockout mice revealed that exposure to maternal prolactin during late pregnancy restores normal nurturing behavior in offspring.
Article #16-21196: "Maternal prolactin during late pregnancy is important in generating nurturing behavior in the offspring," by Taku Sairenji et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Noriaki Shimokawa, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, JAPAN; e-mail: <shimokawa-n@takasaki-u.ac.jp>
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