Neural Circuitry of Play Fighting in Golden Hamsters

In hamsters, play fighting matures gradually into adult aggression. As these two behaviors share many similarities in this species, we predicted that a single neural circuitry controls their offensive component. The goal of the present study was to identify neural systems associated with offensive play fighting in male juvenile golden hamsters. The neural circuitry related to this behavior was identified through quantification of c-Fos immunolabeling. We also looked for vasopressin cells possibly associated with play fighting. We found that areas previously associated with offensive aggression in adult hamsters, including the ventrolateral hypothalamus, the medial amygdala, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, also showed enhanced c-Fos expression after play fighting. In addition, vasopressin neurons in the nucleus circularis and the medial division of the supraoptic nucleus expressed enhanced c-Fos immunolabeling in juveniles after play fighting, as previously reported in adult hamsters after aggression. Finally, enhanced c-Fos expression associated with play fighting was also found in areas previously unexplored in adult hamsters, such as the prefrontal cortex. Together, our results support the hypothesis of a single core neural circuitry controlling the offensive components of play fighting and adult aggression throughout puberty in hamsters.