ONTOGENY OF OXYTOCIN AND VASOPRESSIN RECEPTOR-BINDING IN THE LATERAL SEPTUM IN PRAIRIE AND MONTANE VOLES

Adult prairie (Microtus ochrogaster) and montane voles (M. montanus) d iffer in the distribution of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) recep tor binding in the brain. The present study examined the ontogenetic p attern of these receptor bindings in the lateral septum in both specie s to determine whether adult differences in the receptor binding ale d erived from a common pattern in development. In both species, OT and A VP receptor binding in the lateral septum were detected neonatally, in creased during development, and reached the adult level at weaning (th ird week). The progression of OT and AVP receptor differed, as OT rece ptor binding increased continually until weaning while AVP receptor bi nding did not change in the first week, increased rapidly in the secon d week, and was sustained thereafter. For both receptors, the binding increased more rapidly in montane than in prairie voles, resulting in species differences in receptor binding at weaning and in adulthood. T ogether, these data indicate that OT and AVP could affect the brain du ring development in a peptide-and species-specific manner in voles. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.