The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and neuropeptide S (NPS) have gained substantial interest as important modulators of socio-emotional behaviours. As such, both OXT and NPS exert anxiolytic effects also in rats selectively bred for high (HAB) versus low (LAB) anxiety-related behaviour, and were found to reverse non-social fear in models of cued fear-conditioning. Moreover, both neuropeptides are major players in the promotion of social interactions. For example, I will present data demonstrating that naturally occurring social preference behaviour is highly OXT-dependent both in laboratory rats and mice, and that social defeat-induced avoidance of conspecifics is reversed by each of these neuropeptides
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