Maternal care affects the chemical composition of the brain in adulthood
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The action of the neuropeptide Y depends on the behavior of the mother in infancy. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most common peptide hormone of the central nervous system. He participates in various processes, including managing stress, developing anxiety and regulating body weight.
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg demonstrated in mice that maternal care in early childhood contributes to the synthesis of NPY in the brain. As a result of receiving care, the animals were less anxious at adulthood and weighed more than their colleagues who received less love. The research team was able to show that this effect is due to maternal care, which stimulated the constant formation of certain receptors of the NPY brain.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays several key roles in complex brain chains. Neuropeptide Y not only affects body weight, but also controls the development of anxiety and response to stress. Consequently, NPY plays an important role in the development of mental illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. The effect of NPY in the brain occurs by binding to NPY receptors on neurons. The hormone triggers the triggering of signaling cascades that control various physical functions.
In the study, Rolf Sprengel of the Max Planck Institute (Italy) and his colleagues showed that the influence of NPY depends on how much attention and care the young mice received during the first three weeks of life. Animals that received little care from their mothers were more concerned about adulthood than their counterparts who received intense attention in the first weeks of life. They also remained more resistant to various stress factors throughout life. The researchers found that maternal behavior influenced the formation of NPY1 receptors in the limbic system - the areas of the brain responsible for handling emotions.
"We were able to show that the activity of NPY1 receptors in the limbic system of young animals is increasing due to maternal care," explains Rolf Sprengel. "Maternal love ensures their healthy development in the long term." The positive effect of maternal care and attention is evidenced by the fact that young animals quickly gained weight and demonstrated great courage in behavioral experiments, compared to rodents who received little heat after birth.
These results of neuroscience "will help us reach a better understanding of how maternal care in the early life of an organism can affect it in later life." The results of the study show how maternal love and attention have a lasting effect on the chemical composition of the limbic system, "says Rolf Sprengel: Thus, maternal behavior can affect emotions and physical states in adulthood.
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