abdulhakeem
17-06-04, 01:37 PM
Scientists say they have found how to change promiscuous wayward males into attentive home-loving husbands.
Nature magazine reports that the breakthrough has been achieved with voles but has implications for humans.
By altering one gen in the brain hormone chemistry, scientists made a promiscuous meadow vole faithful - just like its prairie vole cousin.
After mating, male prairie voles "fall in love", choosing to stick close to their chosen one, guard her jealously and help her raise their young.
Closely related meadow voles, on the other hand, mate with several females and pay little attention to their babies.
A hormone called vasopressin encourages pair-bonding in prairie voles. Scientists noticed that meadow voles have fewer vasopressin receptors and decided to try giving them more.
The results were remarkable. The meadow voles changed their ways and suddenly fixed on one female, choosing to mate with only her - even when other females tried to tempt them.
"We think what happens is when the voles mate, vasopressin activates the reward centre, and it really makes the animals pay attention to who they are mating with," co-author Larry Young, from Emory University, Georgia, told BBC News Online.
"It makes the voles think: "when I'm with this partner I feel good". And from then on, they want to spend their time with that particular partner."
The strings of human behaviour might be pulled by similar hormones and similar pathways.
"We know that vasopressin is released when humans have sex," said Professor Young. "Sex is probably involved in maintaining the bond between humans and vasopressin may play a role in that."
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_991480.html
Nature magazine reports that the breakthrough has been achieved with voles but has implications for humans.
By altering one gen in the brain hormone chemistry, scientists made a promiscuous meadow vole faithful - just like its prairie vole cousin.
After mating, male prairie voles "fall in love", choosing to stick close to their chosen one, guard her jealously and help her raise their young.
Closely related meadow voles, on the other hand, mate with several females and pay little attention to their babies.
A hormone called vasopressin encourages pair-bonding in prairie voles. Scientists noticed that meadow voles have fewer vasopressin receptors and decided to try giving them more.
The results were remarkable. The meadow voles changed their ways and suddenly fixed on one female, choosing to mate with only her - even when other females tried to tempt them.
"We think what happens is when the voles mate, vasopressin activates the reward centre, and it really makes the animals pay attention to who they are mating with," co-author Larry Young, from Emory University, Georgia, told BBC News Online.
"It makes the voles think: "when I'm with this partner I feel good". And from then on, they want to spend their time with that particular partner."
The strings of human behaviour might be pulled by similar hormones and similar pathways.
"We know that vasopressin is released when humans have sex," said Professor Young. "Sex is probably involved in maintaining the bond between humans and vasopressin may play a role in that."
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_991480.html