Oxytocin and vasopressin within the ventral and dorsal lateral septum modulate aggression in female rats.

In contrast to male rats, aggression in virgin female rats has been rarely studied. Here, we established a rat model of enhanced aggression in females using a combination of social isolation and aggression-training to specifically investigate the involvement of the oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) systems within the lateral septum (LS). Using neuropharmacological, optogenetic, chemogenetic as well as microdialysis approaches, we revealed that enhanced OXT release within the ventral LS (vLS), combined with reduced AVP release within the dorsal LS (dLS), is required for aggression in female rats. Accordingly, increased activity of putative OXT receptor-positive neurons in the vLS, and decreased activity of putative AVP receptor-positive neurons in the dLS, are likely to underly aggression in female rats. Finally, in vitro activation of OXT receptors in the vLS increased tonic GABAergic inhibition of dLS neurons. Overall, our data suggest a model showing that septal release of OXT and AVP differentially affects aggression in females by modulating the inhibitory tone within LS sub-networks

Animal Models of Aggression

editorial reviewedRodent models have been extensively used to study the neural underpinnings of aggression. Yet, the role of some external factors such as social experiences, or internal factors such as biological sex, have only recently gained attention. This chapter discusses how the composition of the social environment and/or the lack of social contact (social isolation) in different stages of development impact the display of aggressive behavior in rodents. Additionally, this chapter covers how biological sex interacts with changes in the composition of the social environment to affect the neuronal networks of aggression. From a neurobiological point of view, this chapter focuses particularly on the participation of neuroendocrine systems such as sex hormones, oxytocin, and vasopressin and on how social interactions shape brain plasticity within those systems