Expression of aggressiveness modulate mesencephalic c-Fos activation during a social interaction test in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix) reared in enriched or plain environments

CALIVA, JORGE M.; FALKENBURGER MELLEU, FERNANDO; MARINO-NETO, JOSE; MARIN, RAUL H.; KEMBRO, JACKELYN M.

Córdoba

Congreso; XXXIII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2019

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN)

Display of aggression is associated with both the animal?s propensity to behave aggressively and their opponent´s behavior. Recently, the Social Interaction test (SI) was proposed as a method for discriminating between these two confounding factors, by evaluating aggressiveness using photocastrated males as non-aggressive stimuli. The avian Intercollicular-GCt complex (comparable with periaqueductal gray) is a node in the descending pathways that organize behavioral and autonomic aspects of defensive responses and aggressiveness. Using SI, we evaluated whether mesencephalic areas are activated (c-Fos) in photostimulated adult males. Furthermore, we examined whether the mesencephalic activation is related to the male performance during the SI (aggressive vs. non-aggressive males), as well as the potential influences of rearing condition (standard vs. enriched). Five mesencephalic areas (at two anatomic levels) were studied. Aggressive males showed increased c-Fos expression in comparison to non-aggressive and control birds in all areas. Non-aggressive males and the test controls showed similar c-Fos labeling. In all areas studied, rearing condition did not appear to influence c-Fos expression. These results suggest that the mesencephalic activation is involved when males are actively expressing aggressive behaviors. The overall phenomena is shown regardless of both the environmental stimuli provided during the birds´ rearing and potentially stressful stimuli during the SI.