Negative social experiences may influence psychological and physiological health via altered central oxytocin communication. The prairie vole is valuable for investigating the potential influence of oxytocin on responses to social experiences. Prairie voles are socially monogamous, live in pairs or family groups, and respond negatively to changes in the social environment. This study investigated the hypothesis that disruptions of oxytocin in one prairie vole of a cohabitating male-female pair would alter social behavior in that specific animal; and these behavioral changes in turn would influence the untreated partner’s behavior and physiology. Pharmacological antagonism of oxytocin with the receptor antagonist L-368,899 in the male prairie vole disrupted social behaviors between the male and his untreated female partner. This manipulation also negatively influenced the behavior and cardiovascular function in the untreated female partner, including increased: (a) depression-relevant behaviors in two behavioral stressors, (b) basal mean arterial pressure and heart rate, and (c) cardiovascular reactivity to the behavioral stressors. These results suggest that disruptions of oxytocin and social behavior in one animal may produce indicators of social stress in an untreated social partner. This preliminary research provides a foundation for future studies to investigate mechanisms underlying responses to social experiences in humans.

负面的社会经历可能会通过改变催产素的中央交流来影响心理和生理健康。草原田鼠对于研究催产素对社会经验反应的潜在影响是有价值的。草原田鼠在社会上是一夫一妻制，成对或成家庭生活，并对社会环境的变化产生负面反应。这项研究调查了这样的假设，即在同居的一对雌雄大草原田鼠中，催产素的破坏会改变该特定动物的社交行为。这些行为改变反过来会影响未治疗伴侣的行为和生理。雄性田鼠中催产素与受体拮抗剂L-368,899的药理拮抗作用破坏了雄性和未治疗雌性伴侣之间的社交行为。这种操作还会对未治疗的女性伴侣的行为和心血管功能产生负面影响，包括增加：（a）两种行为压力源的抑郁相关行为；（b）基本平均动脉压和心率；以及（c）行为压力源。这些结果表明，对一只动物的催产素和社交行为的破坏可能会在未经治疗的社交伴侣中产生社交压力的指标。这项初步研究为将来的研究奠定基础，以研究对人类社会经历的反应机制。（c）对行为应激源的心血管反应。这些结果表明，对一只动物的催产素和社交行为的破坏可能会在未经治疗的社交伴侣中产生社交压力的指标。这项初步研究为将来的研究奠定基础，以研究对人类社会经历的反应机制。（c）对行为应激源的心血管反应。这些结果表明，对一只动物的催产素和社交行为的破坏可能会在未经治疗的社交伴侣中产生社交压力的指标。这项初步研究为将来的研究奠定基础，以研究对人类社会经历的反应机制。