How is the aggressive behavior controlled by the brain? Scientists discover "regulatory switch" in mouse brain

 

 How is the aggressive behavior controlled by the brain? Scientists discover "regulatory switch" in mouse brain

Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, April 25 (Reporter Zhang Jiansong) Aggressive behavior is one of the most important instinct behaviors of most animals, and also an important manifestation of mental illnesses such as mania and bipolar disorder. In-depth study of the neural mechanism of aggression can provide new treatment ideas for pathological aggression.

By the China Ke Xueyuan Innovation Center for Science and Intelligent Technology Excellence (Neuroscience Institute) brain, brain science and brain-Shanghai Research Center, a new study Xu Xiaohong State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience Research Group completed, found in the mouse brain "Regulatory switch" for aggressive behavior.

According to researcher Xu Xiaohong, after sensing the stimulation of an external invader, the mouse needs to participate in a series of "nuclei" in the brain from adjusting its own state to finally outputting its aggressive behavior. Among them, the "hypothalamic ventral medial nucleus" is the core, and other brain regions form direct or indirect connections with them to participate in the occurrence of aggressive behavior.

The brain structure is divided into cortical and subcortical structures. Because the "hypothalamic ventral medial nucleus" belongs to the subcortical structure, the previous research on the aggressive behavior of scientists has mainly focused on the subcortical structure, and there is little research on whether there is a neural mechanism related to the aggressive behavior in the cerebral cortex.

In China Ke Xueyuan , National Natural Science Foundation Committee with the support of Shanghai will and related projects, the investigation led by Xu Xiaohong Qian, Wang Lei and other members of the study group, the mice in the cerebral cortex neural mechanisms of aggressive behavior, conducted in-depth research.

The researchers used the "Vglut1" molecule as a molecular marker in the mouse cerebral cortex, tracing up from the "hypothalamic ventrolateral nucleus". As a result, a group of Vglut1-positive neurons were found in the posterior amygdala region of the mouse cerebral cortex. When the mice faced the intruder, the higher the level of specific neuron activity in the group, the easier the mice were to attack.

Since then, Xu Xiaohong's research team has adopted pharmacological genetics methods for further verification. It was found that activating Vglut1 positive neurons in the amygdala region of the mouse cerebral cortex can increase the aggression of mice in low-aggressive mice; while inhibiting Vglut1-positive neurons in this region can reduce the high-aggression small The aggressive behavior of rats.

"This study discovered the important role of Vglut1 positive neurons in the cerebral cortex in the aggressive behavior of mice; it revealed the direct function of the cerebral cortex to the hypothalamus in the 'gating' process of aggressive behavior in mice. "Xu Xiaohong said," This neural mechanism is equivalent to the discovery of a 'regulatory switch' of aggressive behavior in the mouse brain. We will further verify in primate models to ultimately serve humans in the treatment of pathological psychiatric diseases. " "

Related research papers have recently been published online in the international authoritative academic journal Cell Reports.