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Estrogens and oxytocin have shown to facilitate social recognition. Estrogens have been implicated in mediating oxytocin and oxytocin receptor production. Estrogens can rapidly facilitate social recognition in the paraventricular nucleus and medial amygdala, and an oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTRA) has prevented social recognition. We predicted estrogens’ rapid mediation of oxytocin would facilitate social recognition, occurring in the medial amygdala itself. We examined whether 17-estradiol (E2) in the medial amygdala could rapidly facilitate social recognition. Next, we investigated if this process was mediated by oxytocin binding to its receptors. Lastly, we confirmed E2 rapid facilitation of recognition in the medial amygdala is social specific. We found E2 in the medial amygdala rapidly facilitates social recognition; E2’s effect on social recognition is blocked by OTRA; and E2 did not rapidly facilitate object recognition. This suggests estrogens’ rapid effects on social recognition in the medial amygdala occurs through a modulation of oxytocin. NSERC |
