The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) has long been implicated in the regulation of social behavior and communication in diverse taxa, often through its actions on the V1a receptor (V1aR) and in a sex-different and steroid-dependent way. One source of sex-different brain AVP is the steroid-sensitive and sexually-dimorphic AVP neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a cell population that regulates social behavior in a sex-dependent manner. Potential targets of these BNST-AVP cells include the lateral habenula (LHb) and dorsal raphe (DR), areas known to be important for social behavior, yet few studies have investigated AVP action within these regions. Consequently, to test if V1aR action in the LHb or DR controls social behavior in a sexually dimorphic manner, we administered a highly-specific V1aR antagonist (or saline vehicle) in the LHb or DR of C57BL/6 male and female mice and tested its effects on social investigation, social communication (urine marking, ultrasonic vocalizations), and territorial aggression. V1aR antagonism of the LHb or DR decreased male urine marking toward unfamiliar males, but not toward unfamiliar females. Additionally, V1aR blockade of the LHb decreased ultrasonic vocalizations generated in the presence of females. Social investigation, locomotion and aggressive behavior were not altered by V1aR antagonism in either area. Blocking V1aR in the LHb or DR of females had no effect, indicating V1aR action in the DR and LHb drives sex differences in social communication.

中文翻译：

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小鼠外侧缰核和中缝背侧加压素 1a 受体调节社会交流的性别差异。

神经肽精氨酸加压素 (AVP) 长期以来一直与不同类群的社会行为和交流的调节有关，通常通过其对 V1a 受体 (V1aR) 的作用，并以性别不同和类固醇依赖性的方式进行。性别不同的大脑 AVP 的一个来源是终纹床核 (BNST) 中对类固醇敏感且具有性别二态性的 AVP 神经元，BNST 是一种以性别依赖性方式调节社会行为的细胞群。这些 BNST-AVP 细胞的潜在靶点包括外侧缰核 (LHb) 和中缝背侧 (DR)，这些区域已知对社会行为很重要，但很少有研究调查这些区域内的 AVP 作用。因此，为了测试 LHb 或 DR 中的 V1aR 作用是否以性别二态性方式控制社会行为，我们在 C57BL/6 雄性和雌性小鼠的 LHb 或 DR 中施用高度特异性的 V1aR 拮抗剂（或盐水载体），并测试其对社会调查、社会交流（尿液标记、超声波发声）和领土攻击的影响。LHb 或 DR 的 V1aR 拮抗作用会降低男性对不熟悉的男性的尿液标记，但不会对不熟悉的女性进行标记。此外，V1aR 对 LHb 的阻断减少了在雌性存在的情况下产生的超声波发声。任一区域的社会调查、运动和攻击行为均不会因 V1aR 拮抗而改变。阻断女性 LHb 或 DR 中的 V1aR 没有效果，表明 DR 和 LHb 中的 V1aR 作用驱动了社交沟通中的性别差异。