Hormones and Behavior最新文献

{"title":"Estrogen regulates cognitive function in APP/PS1 female mice via modulation of IDO1-mediated Trp/Kyn metabolism through ERβ.","authors":"Lingdi Zhang, Shuang Hu, Jianjun Zhu, Guojun Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105891","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alzheimer's disease (AD) is more prevalent in postmenopausal women, possibly due to estrogen deficiency. IDO1 (Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1), a tryptophan-metabolizing enzyme, mediates immunomodulation and neuroinflammation and may be related to cognitive impairment in AD. This study used APP/PS1 transgenic female mice with ovariectomy (OVX),E2, IDO1 inhibitor (1-MT), and agonists and antagonists of estrogen receptors to explore the potential roles of estrogen and IDO1 in AD. Results showed that OVX aggravated the cognitive function impairment of the APP/PS1 mice. OVX also decreased the serum E2 level and increased the hippocampal IDO1 level. The application of 1-MT reversed the cognitive impairment, suggesting the elevated IDO1 level to be a contributing factor for the high susceptibility to AD in females with estrogen deficiency. Interestingly, E2 alleviated the cognitive function of the APP/PS1 mice undergoing OVX. E2 also decreased hippocampal IDO1 level and impacted the metabolism of IDO1-mediated L-Tryptophan (Trp)/kynurenine (Kyn) pathway by decreasing the levels of Kyn, Kyn-to-Trp ratio, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid (QA) and increasing the levels of serotonin (5-HT), 5-HT-to-Trp ratio, and kynurenic acid (KA). The E2's effects were similar to those of the IDO1 inhibitor. Furthermore, the ERβ antagonist could reverse the effects of E2 and the ERβ agonist had comparable effects to E2 on the Trp/Kyn pathway. These findings indicate that E2 has positive effects on the cognitive function of the APP/PS1 female mice undergoing OVX, and the mechanism may be related to the modulation of IDO1-mediated Trp/Kyn pathway via activation of ERβ.</p>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"179 ","pages":"105891"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146142148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The gastric branch of the vagus nerve is required for hypothalamic pituitary axis stress habituation in male Sprague Dawley rats","authors":"Lori J. Sampsell,&nbsp;Jonathan W. Snyder,&nbsp;Alexandra Evans,&nbsp;Nelli Horvath,&nbsp;Isa N. McMenimon,&nbsp;Jennifer E. Nyland,&nbsp;Kirsteen N. Browning,&nbsp;Andras Hajnal,&nbsp;Yuval Silberman","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The vagus nerve is known to participate in the negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in response to acute stress, but the role of the vagus nerve in facilitating HPA habituation to repeated stress remains largely unexplored. The role of specific vagal subbranches in stress responses is also unclear. This study evaluated whether selective surgical ablation of the left anterior gastric branch of the vagus nerve (gVX) impairs physiological and behavioral adaptation to repeated stress. Rats were assigned to gVX or sham surgery and underwent repeated restraint stress consisting of 2 h of restraint daily for 5 consecutive days, during which blood was collected every 15 min to assess corticosterone and non-fasting glucose levels, while ultrasonic vocalizations were recorded. 24 h after the final restraint session, rats underwent an open field test to assess anxiety-like behaviors. There were no overt changes in gastric function by gVX. Plasma corticosterone levels were similarly elevated in both groups on the first day of restraint stress. By day 5, the sham group exhibited a significant reduction in stress-evoked corticosterone levels compared to day 1, indicating habituation, while corticosterone levels in the gVX group remained elevated after repeated stress. Non-fasted glucose levels followed a similar pattern, with sham rats showing habituation, whereas the gVX group maintained significantly elevated levels on day 5. The gVX group displayed significantly more stress-associated vocalizations during restraint and no habituation over time. In the open-field test, gVX rats showed fewer center entries, increased immobility, and reduced distance traveled, reflecting heightened anxiety-like behaviors. These findings collectively demonstrate that the gastric branch of the vagus nerve is crucial for stress habituation, revealing a critical connection between gastrointestinal and stress-related neural pathways. A better understanding of these mechanisms could inform therapeutic strategies for stress-related disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 105889"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-related differences in aggressive and emotional behavior in mice with the conditional inactivation of limbic Npy1r","authors":"Silvia Paterlini ,&nbsp;Laura Gioiosa ,&nbsp;Riccardo Panelli ,&nbsp;Stefano Parmigiani ,&nbsp;Ilaria Bertocchi ,&nbsp;Alessandra Oberto ,&nbsp;Carola Eva ,&nbsp;Paola Palanza","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anxiety- and depression-related disorders are frequently associated with deficits in social behavior, including excessive aggression and violence, which may arise from disruptions in the neural circuits regulating emotions and social interactions. Sex differences play a crucial role in modulating emotional and social behaviors, particularly aggression and anxiety. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its Y1 receptor (Y1R) are involved in regulating various physiological functions, including emotional behavior and stress response. We previously demonstrated that conditional knockout of <em>Npy1r</em> gene in the forebrain excitatory neurons (Npy1r^<em>rfb</em> mutant mice) increased anxiety-like behavior and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis reactivity and decreased body weight growth in a sex-dependent manner. In the present study we investigated how the depletion of the <em>Npy1r</em> gene in limbic areas might affect male and female mice by using a test battery aimed at assessing anxiety-like, social and aggressive behavior as well as response to novelty. Our results showed reduced exploratory behavior and increased anxiety in response to a novel environment in Npy1r^<em>rfb</em> mice, with females exhibiting more pronounced effects. In contrast, only Npy1r^<em>rfb</em> males showed reduced neophobia and increased impulsivity in response to a novel palatable food. Moreover, reduced limbic <em>Npy1r</em> expression decreased territorial aggression and increased defensive behaviors only in males. These findings reveal that limbic Y1R modulates anxiety, social interaction, and aggression in a sex-dependent manner. Moreover, they uncover a novel role for Y1R in regulating intermale aggression and suggest sex-specific links between NPY-Y1R signaling and the modulation of motivational and emotional responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105887"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early androgens and development of social personality traits: Evidence from classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia","authors":"Marcia L. Collaer ,&nbsp;Debra Spencer ,&nbsp;Karson T.F. Kung ,&nbsp;Ajay Thankamony ,&nbsp;Ieuan A. Hughes ,&nbsp;Carlo Acerini ,&nbsp;Umasuthan Srirangalingam ,&nbsp;Helena Gleeson ,&nbsp;Eileen Luders ,&nbsp;Melissa Hines","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Experimental studies in nonhuman species have demonstrated the powerful effects of androgen exposure during early life on neurobehavioral development. Work also has demonstrated links between early androgens in humans and characteristics that show sex differences, such as childhood play, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This study extends the investigation of potential androgen influences to the development of a subset of personality traits that are relevant to social interaction. We investigated the relationship of early androgens to personality traits, assessed via questionnaires, that show average sex differences (overall aggression, physical aggression, dominance, and tender-mindedness/sensitivity). Participants, average age of 30.2 years, included 33 women and 20 men with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which leads to elevated androgen concentrations in females prenatally, and an equal number of well-matched controls. Data supported the hypotheses that (1) control men show higher personality traits of aggression and dominance, and lower tender-mindedness/sensitivity than control women; (2) Women with CAH show more male-typical and less female-typical traits in each personality domain compared to control women; but (3) men with CAH do not differ from control men. These data suggest that androgen exposure during early life may masculinize personality characteristics relevant to social interaction, presumably via effects on neural development. Additionally, prenatal androgen influences may well interact with subsequent influences of socialization to shape personality traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105875"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146034956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growing up in comfort: Environmental enrichment shapes maternal approach and sex differences in offspring neuroendocrine profiles in laboratory mice","authors":"Lucas F. Fowler ,&nbsp;Alexandre Maekawa ,&nbsp;T. Nadine Burry ,&nbsp;Jessica Vaters ,&nbsp;Stephanie Salia ,&nbsp;Meagan E. Hinks ,&nbsp;Kerri M. Sparkes ,&nbsp;Ashlyn Swift-Gallant","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physical environment modulates the maternal brain and affects maternal-offspring dynamics, with downstream effects on neonatal development. In this study, we examined whether environmental enrichment (EE) influences maternal approach, neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), and early neuroendocrine development in mice, focusing on hormonal pathways associated with maternity, stress responsivity, and gonadal hormones. Nulliparous female C57BL/6 mice were housed in EE or standard (ST) conditions prior to mating. EE cages were larger and contained extra bedding and enrichment items. Litters were culled to four pups (2/sex), and maternal approach and pup USVs were recorded on postnatal days (PND) 6 and 8 using a modified three-chamber protocol. EE dams made fewer entries into female interaction zones than ST counterparts. EE also increased USV call numbers and decreased call frequencies among pups. These effects were not sex-dependent, and despite higher emission rates, USV parameters did not correlate with maternal response in the EE group. Gene expression analyses revealed that EE altered stress- and care-related genes in the maternal brain, downregulating <em>Prlr</em> (prolactin receptor) and <em>Nr3c2</em> (mineralocorticoid receptor) in the cortex and upregulating <em>Prlr</em> while downregulating <em>Nr3c2</em> and <em>Oxtr</em> (oxytocin receptor) in the diencephalon. Further, EE housing changed neuroendocrine profiles in male pups, but not females, suggesting benefits to neurodevelopment (increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and alterations to sexual differentiation (<em>Ar</em> [androgen receptor] and <em>Esr1</em> [estrogen receptor alpha]) and stress reactivity (<em>Nr3c1</em> [glucocorticoid receptor] and <em>Nr3c2</em>). These findings highlight how environmental context can shape maternal brain and behaviour and imprint on offspring neuroendocrine development in a sex-dependent manner.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Migrant blackbirds (Turdus merula) on stopover have higher plasma PYY compared to residents: A validation and proof-of-concept","authors":"Alexander T. Baugh ,&nbsp;Jesko Partecke ,&nbsp;Natalie Wellbrock ,&nbsp;Roberto Carlos Frias-Soler ,&nbsp;Franz Bairlein ,&nbsp;Alba Hykollari ,&nbsp;Leonida Fusani ,&nbsp;Pablo Salmón","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Migratory birds expend substantial energy during flight and often rely on stopovers to refuel. Foraging behavior during stopover might vary with fuel loss and food availability though likely involves higher food intake rates than in non-migratory (resident) individuals. In mammals, hormones such as leptin signal information about energy balance and satiety. In contrast the gut hormone peptide YY (PYY), which rises rapidly after feeding and suppresses appetite in mammals, might serve a similar functional role in songbirds, which lack functional leptin. We validated and measured plasma PYY in migrant and resident Common Blackbirds (<em>Turdus merula</em>) on Helgoland, a key North Sea stopover site, during peak autumn migration. Migrants exhibited significantly higher circulating PYY levels than residents, possibly reflecting increased or differential foraging. PYY was unrelated to body condition or fat stores. This proof of concept study justifies future work on plasma PYY and other metabolic signals and their potential influence on avian migratory decision making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105885"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic stress raises baseline circulating corticosterone and reduces vocal plasticity in male budgerigars, an avian model for adult vocal learning","authors":"Timothy F. Wright ,&nbsp;Marcelo Araya-Salas ,&nbsp;Alondra Villalba ,&nbsp;Amelia M.-F. Clayshulte Abraham ,&nbsp;Carlos I. Campos ,&nbsp;Amanda L. Schmidt ,&nbsp;Connor Draney ,&nbsp;Jodie M. Jawor","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic stress affects cognitive function across many domains, including memory, decision making and learning. While the effects of early-life stress on vocal learning in juveniles are well-demonstrated in both humans and songbirds, less is known about how stress experienced by adults affects their ability to learn new vocalizations or the neural substrates that underlie this behavior. We investigated the effects of chronic stress on the production and learning of contact calls, and on the expression of a key learning related gene, FoxP2, in the vocal learning circuit in adult budgerigars (<em>Melopsittacus undulatus</em>), a small parrot with open-ended vocal learning. We induced chronic stress via unpredictable disturbances in the captive environments of nine newly-formed replicate flocks of 4 adult male budgerigars who were previously unfamiliar to each other. We then recorded calling behavior daily and measured weight, breath rate, and baseline and stress response levels of circulating corticosterone weekly. At the end of the experiment brains were collected to examine mRNA and protein levels of the gene FoxP2 in the vocal learning region magnocellular nucleus of the medial striatum (MMSt) using qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Physiological measures of stress consistently showed stronger responses in birds subjected to the highest level of disturbance than those in the medium or baseline control treatments, although only differences in baseline corticosterone were detected among treatments. We used machine learning approaches to map calls onto a shared acoustic space to assess four measures of vocal behavior and learning: vocal output (the number of contact calls produced), vocal diversity (the amount of acoustic space occupied by the calls of an individual), vocal plasticity (the amount of change in acoustic space over time) and vocal convergence (the degree of overlap between an individual's calls and the calls of its group). Birds in the high stress treatment showed higher vocal output and lower vocal plasticity than those in medium stress or baseline control groups, but there were no differences among treatments in vocal diversity or vocal convergence. There were no differences detected among treatments in expression levels of either FoxP2 mRNA or protein, perhaps due to the timing of neural sampling relative to the behavioral measures. These results suggest that, as seen in juvenile learning, chronic stress can negatively impact vocal learning in adults via changes in patterns of circulating corticosterone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105884"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pregnancy's lasting imprint: Late pregnancy allopregnanolone alters rat fear recall and medial prefrontal cortex activity","authors":"Lindsay K. Vincelette,&nbsp;Ece Ulgenturk,&nbsp;Bita Adel-Zadeh,&nbsp;Isabella C. Ravaglia,&nbsp;Leonard R. Hanson,&nbsp;Rylin W. Lubash,&nbsp;Rebecca M. Shansky","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105882","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105882","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pregnancy and the postpartum period induce long lasting alterations in mood and cognitive function, yet the parous brain remains vastly underexplored. This study investigates how reproductive experience alters fear memory and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity in female rats. Using classical Pavlovian fear conditioning and recall, we observed that both pregnant and parous rats exhibited impaired fear recall compared to nulliparous controls. These behavioral changes were paralleled by dynamic alterations in neural activity, measured via cFos expression. During pregnancy, activity in the mPFC and periaqueductal gray (PAG) was significantly reduced, while parous animals exhibited a striking increase in mPFC activity to levels significantly higher than nulliparous controls. We hypothesized that these fluctuations are driven by the heightened levels of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (AP) that occur during late pregnancy. AP acts as a powerful positive allosteric modulator of GABA_A receptors, and thus may be driving the suppressed neural activity observed in the mPFC, as well as the rebound in activity once pregnancy is over and AP has normalized. To test this, we administered Finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor that blocks allopregnanolone synthesis, during late pregnancy. While finasteride treatment did not affect overall fear recall in the full cohort, further analysis revealed that it selectively restored fear recall in a behavioral subset of animals known as Non-darters. These findings support a role for pregnancy-related neurosteroids in modulating prefrontal activity and long-term cognitive function. They also highlight the importance of including reproductive experience and individual behavioral phenotypes in neuroscience research to improve translational relevance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105882"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145965801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"FKBP5 expression is related to risky foraging in house sparrows","authors":"C. Zimmer ,&nbsp;K.M. McCain ,&nbsp;H.E. Hanson ,&nbsp;L.B. Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105883","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2026.105883","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Responding appropriately to unpredictable challenges requires the ability to match phenotype to current conditions. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is critical to this response. We recently suggested that HPA flexibility, the ability of an individual to mount appropriate glucocorticoid responses to different stressors, might be crucial to respond appropriately to the different challenges faced by wildlife. In a recent study in adult house sparrows (<em>Passer domesticus</em>), we showed i) that HPA flexibility was negatively related to hypothalamic expression of <em>FKBP5</em> and ii) that central (brain) and peripheral (blood) expression levels were correlated. Here, we aimed at confirming this relationship in this species while also testing whether <em>FKBP5</em> expression is related to foraging risk-taking behavior in the same individuals. We confirmed that <em>FKBP5</em> expression in the hypothalamus is strongly correlated to expression in the blood. We also showed that hippocampal <em>FKBP5</em> expression was positively related to eating novel foods and taking foraging risks. These results suggest that higher HPA flexibility may allow individuals to quickly and appropriately adjust their phenotypes to prevailing environmental conditions, particularly in regarding to foraging risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105883"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leptin promotes social context-specific increase in advertisement song effort of male Alston's singing mice","authors":"Joel A. Tripp ,&nbsp;Keerthana Raghuraman ,&nbsp;Ritika V. Bhalla ,&nbsp;Steven M. Phelps","doi":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal display behaviors, such as advertisement songs, are flashy and attention grabbing by necessity. In order to balance the costs and benefits of such signals, individuals must be able to assess both their own energetic state and their social environment. In this study, we investigated the role of leptin, a hormonal signal of high energy balance, in regulating the vocal advertisement display of Alston's singing mouse (<em>Scotinomys teguina</em>). To ask how internal cues of energy availability are integrated with external social cues, we manipulated perception of energy balance using exogenous leptin, and perceived social environment through acoustic playback. We found that both song playback and leptin injection promoted increased song effort. In the absence of song playback, leptin altered amplitude modulation in songs but did not affect song rate. Additionally, we examined hormone and playback effects on non-vocal behaviors and found that leptin may shift physical activity away from cage exploration and toward wheel running. These results demonstrate that male singing mice use both social context and energy balance to govern their investment in advertisement song, and that leptin acts as a mediator of this process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13001,"journal":{"name":"Hormones and Behavior","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 105874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145933068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}