Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Social Behavior ; Tupaiidae ; physiology

Animals ; Aedes/physiology* ; Hot Temperature ; Feeding Behavior ; Behavior, Animal/physiology*

RF-amide related peptide (RFRP) is the orthologue of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) in mammals. The bodies of RFRP cell are located in the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (DMH) and the fibers project to preoptic area (POA) and median eminence of the hypothalamus. Its receptor mainly distributes in hypothalamus. RFRP fibers project to GnRH cells to regulate mammalian reproduction axis. This paper reviews the progress of current researches on RFRP in regulation of animal behaviors, including reproduction, food intake, anxiety and stress response.
Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; physiology ; Mammals ; physiology ; Neuropeptides ; physiology ; Reproduction ; physiology

The animal time structure is a basic fact of life, no matter if one wants to study it or not. The time- dependent, mostly rhythmic, and thus to a certain degree predictable, variations of biochemical and physiological functions and of sensitivity and resistance to many environmental agents are often quite large and offer not only new insight into animal physiology and pathology but also diagnostic possibilities and therapeutic advantages. Chronobiology, chronophysiology and its subspecialities, like chronopharmacology and chronotherapy, will certainly play an important role in the clinical medicine of the future. Successful application of chronobiology to veterinary clinical medicine, however, depends critically on a thorough knowledge of its basic principles.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/*physiology ; Behavior, Animal/*physiology ; Biological Clocks/*physiology ; Circadian Rhythm/*physiology ; Humans ; Photoperiod ; Seasons

Nervous systems must not only generate specific adaptive behaviors, such as reproduction, aggression, feeding, and sleep, but also select a single behavior for execution at any given time, depending on both internal states and external environmental conditions. Despite their tremendous biological importance, the neural mechanisms of action selection remain poorly understood. In the past decade, studies in the model animal Drosophila melanogaster have demonstrated valuable neural mechanisms underlying action selection of innate behaviors. In this review, we summarize circuit mechanisms with a particular focus on a small number of sexually dimorphic neurons in controlling action selection among sex, fight, feeding, and sleep behaviors in both sexes of flies. We also discuss potentially conserved circuit configurations and neuromodulation of action selection in both the fly and mouse models, aiming to provide insights into action selection and the sexually dimorphic prioritization of innate behaviors.
Animals ; Mice ; Male ; Female ; Drosophila melanogaster/physiology* ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology* ; Instinct ; Neurons/physiology* ; Aggression/physiology*

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; physiology ; Drosophila melanogaster ; physiology ; Female ; Instinct ; Male ; Nerve Net ; physiology ; Neurons ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study on the method for establishing the Qi stagnation and blood stasis rat model and analyze the affecting factors.

METHODThe orthogonal design was adopted to study the influences of joint stimulations including noise, light, electricity, ice water bath, tail-clamping on model rats. The 'flying spot' method was used to dynamically simulate blood flow velocity in microcirculation. the pressure sensing technology of MOTO was adopted to detect hemorheology-related indicators. And the coagulation method was used to detect blood coagulation-related indicators.

RESULTCompared with the negative control group, all model groups showed significant reduction in the blood flow velocity in mesenteric microcirculation and increase in the whole blood viscosity at high, medium and low shear rate, the plasma viscosity and the fibrinogen content in four blood coagulation indicators.

CONCLUSIONNoise, light, electricity, tail-clamping, bondage and icewater-bath make significant impact on model rats.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; physiology ; Blood Circulation ; Female ; Male ; Microcirculation ; physiology ; Models, Animal ; Phenotype ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Animal's numerical competence has been one of the central issues in comparative psychology, cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. A great number of studies indicate that animals have the capability to subitize small numerousness and judge relative numerousness. However, it is pendent if they have the counting ability. There is no evidence that animals can estimate numerousness. Neurophysiological studies show that the posterior parietal cortex and the prefrontal cortex in monkeys are involved in the neural mechanisms underlying numerical competence.
Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Cerebral Cortex ; physiology ; Cognition ; Macaca mulatta ; Mathematics ; Mental Competency ; Pattern Recognition, Visual ; physiology ; Verbal Behavior ; physiology

Females increase aggression for mating opportunities and for acquiring reproductive resources. Although the close relationship between female aggression and mating status is widely appreciated, whether and how female aggression is regulated by mating-related cues remains poorly understood. Here we report an interesting observation that Drosophila virgin females initiate high-frequency attacks toward mated females. We identify 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a male-derived pheromone transferred to females during mating, which promotes virgin female aggression. We subsequently reveal a cVA-responsive neural circuit consisting of four orders of neurons, including Or67d, DA1, aSP-g, and pC1 neurons, that mediate cVA-induced virgin female aggression. We also determine that aSP-g neurons release acetylcholine (ACh) to excite pC1 neurons via the nicotinic ACh receptor nAChRα7. Together, beyond revealing cVA as a mating-related inducer of virgin female aggression, our results identify a neural circuit linking the chemosensory perception of mating-related cues to aggressive behavior in Drosophila females.
Animals ; Male ; Female ; Drosophila/physiology* ; Drosophila Proteins/physiology* ; Cues ; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology* ; Aggression/physiology* ; Drosophila melanogaster/physiology*

OBJECTIVETo develop a novel method for continuously assessing the spatio-temporal properties of locomotor activity of mice in an open field using a video-tracking system.

METHODSThe locomotor tracks in the open field were recorded by video camera within 22 h, and analyzed by AnalyPower1.1 system that we developed recently. Total distance, distances traveled in different zones and their ratios to total distance; total time,times spent in different zones and their ratios to total time were used as indicators to assess the properties of locomotor activity.

RESULTSIn free and wakeful state, the locomotor activity of mice presented obvious regional and temporal properties. Mice preferred to stay in home base (food and water zones), and frequently visited the peripheral zones but seldom the center zones within 22 h. On the other hand, mice were most active within the first 1 h, and then their activity obviously decreased. After their activity became stable, the mice showed the obvious circadian variation of the activity as they were more active in the night.

CONCLUSIONThe novel method we developed in this study can continuously assess the spatio-temporal properties of locomotor activity quantitatively and objectively.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; physiology ; Circadian Rhythm ; physiology ; Environment ; Exploratory Behavior ; physiology ; Locomotion ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Motor Activity ; physiology ; Time Factors ; Video Recording