Reviving-like prosocial behavior in response to unconscious or dead conspecifics in rodents

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Sun, Wenjian; Zhang, Guang-Wei; Huang, Junxiang J.; Tao, Can; Seo, Michelle B.; Tao, Huizhong Whit; Zhang, Li I.
• 署名单位: University of Southern California; University of Southern California; University of Southern California; University of Southern California
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-13019
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adq2677
• 发表日期: 2025-02-21
• 页码: 842-+
• 关键词: paraventricular nucleus; partner preference; social-behavior; oxytocin; altruism; empathy; hypothalamus; vasopressin; mechanism; neurons

摘要

Whereas humans exhibit emergency responses to assist unconscious individuals, how nonhuman animals react to unresponsive conspecifics is less well understood. We report that mice exhibit stereotypic behaviors toward unconscious or dead social partners, which escalate from sniffing and grooming to more forceful actions such as mouth or tongue biting and tongue pulling. The latter intense actions, more prominent in familiar pairs, begin after prolonged immobility and unresponsiveness and cease when the partner regains activity. Their consequences, including improved airway opening and clearance and accelerated recovery from unconsciousness, suggest rescue-like efforts. Oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus respond differentially to the presence of unconscious versus active partners, and their activation, along with oxytocin signaling, is required for the reviving-like actions. This tendency to assist unresponsive members may enhance group cohesion and survival of social species.