| Abstract Body | Background: C-low threshold mechanoreceptors (CLTMs) are a specific type of somatosensory receptor that respond optimally to touch resembling affiliative tactile interactions, and have been implicated in the reduction of behavioural and physiological markers of stress. However, most studies investigating these effects have not accounted for neurobiological sex-differences. The present study aimed to investigate sex-specific behavioural and physiological responses of CLTM-mediated touch administered to rats.
Methods: 10 male and 10 female Wistar rats (10-12 weeks old) were exposed to stress during transportation to the research facility. Every second day for 3 weeks after transportation, half the males (n=5) and females (n=5) received 5 minutes of stroking touch (at 5cm/s; CLTM-optimal velocity), while the other half were handled without stroking. Urine samples were collected to assess changes in corticosterone levels using ELISAs. Further experiments were conducted following the 3-week stroking protocol to assess anxiety-like, reproductive and social behaviours. Brain tissue was collected and stored for further immunohistochemical analysis.
Results: Stroked males spent significantly more time in the centre relative to control males (90.13 seconds +/- 9.67, vs. 55.62 seconds +/- 7.45, respectively, p = .01), whereas there was no difference between stroked and control females (105.75 seconds +/- 7.37, vs. 106.37 seconds +/- 6.5). Furthermore, stroked females exhibited greater sexual receptivity compared to non-stroked females, determined by their lordosis quotient (0.98 vs. 0.8 for stroked and non-stroked females, respectively, p = .04).
Conclusions: The mechanism that underlies the observed sex-differences is unclear at-present, however our on-going analysis of any sex-specific physiological responses to CLTM-mediated touch, with reference to any differences in the oxytocin system, aims to elucidate the mechanism.
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