Microtus ochrogaster is a rodent with a monogamous reproductive strategy characterized by strong pair bond formation after 6 h of mating. Here, we determine whether mating-induced pair bonding increases cell proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ), rostral migratory stream (RMS), and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in male voles. Males were assigned to one of the four groups: (1) control: males were placed alone in a clean cage; (2) social exposure to a female (SE m/f): males that could see, hear, and smell a sexually receptive female but where physical contact was not possible, because the animals were separated by an acrylic screen with small holes; (3) social exposure to a male (SE m/m): same as group 2 but males were exposed to another male without physical contact; and (4) social cohabitation with mating (SCM): males that mated freely with a receptive female for 6 h. This procedure leads to pair bond formation. Groups 2 and 3 were controls for social interaction. Male prairie voles were injected with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) during the behavioral tests and were sacrificed 48 h later. Brains were processed to identify the new cells (BrdU-positive) and neuron precursor cells (neuroblasts). Our principal findings are that in the dorsal region of the SVZ, SCM and SE m/f and m/m increase the percentage of neuron precursor cells. In the anterior region of the RMS, SE m/f decreases the percentage of neuron precursor cells, and in the medial region SE m/f and m/m decrease the number of new cells and neuron precursor cells. In the infrapyramidal blade of the subgranular zone of the DG, SE m/m and SCM increase the number of new neuron precursor cells and SE m/m increases the percentage of these neurons. Our data suggests that social interaction, as well as sexual stimulation, leads to pair bonding in male voles modulating cell proliferation and differentiation to neuronal precursor cells at the SVZ, RMS, and DG.

中文翻译：

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交配和社会接触对成年雄性草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）细胞增殖的影响

豇豆是一种具有一夫一妻制繁殖策略的啮齿动物，其特征是在交配 6 小时后形成强烈的配对键。在这里，我们确定交配诱导的配对是否会增加雄性田鼠脑室下区 (SVZ)、嘴侧迁移流 (RMS) 和海马齿状回 (DG) 的细胞增殖。雄性被分配到四组之一：（1）对照：雄性单独放置在一个干净的笼子里；(2) 与雌性的社会接触 (SE m/f)：雄性可以看到、听到和闻到具有性接受能力的雌性，但无法进行身体接触，因为动物被带有小孔的亚克力屏风隔开；(3) 与男性的社会接触（SE m/m）：与第 2 组相同，但男性在没有身体接触的情况下与另一名男性接触；(4) 交配的社会同居（SCM）：雄性与接受性雌性自由交配 6 小时。这个过程导致对键的形成。第 2 组和第 3 组是社交互动的对照组。雄性草原田鼠注射了 5-bromo-2——脱氧尿苷 (BrdU) 在行为测试期间并在 48 小时后被处死。处理大脑以识别新细胞（BrdU 阳性）和神经元前体细胞（神经母细胞）。我们的主要发现是在 SVZ 的背侧区域，SCM 和 SE m/f 和 m/m 增加了神经元前体细胞的百分比。在 RMS 的前部区域，SE m/f 降低了神经元前体细胞的百分比，在中间区域，SE m/f 和 m/m 降低了新细胞和神经元前体细胞的数量。在 DG 颗粒下区的锥体下刀片中，SE m/m 和 SCM 增加了新神经元前体细胞的数量，SE m/m 增加了这些神经元的百分比。我们的数据表明，社交互动以及性刺激，