Posted on 06/04/2013 10:28:00 PM PDT by neverdem
Epigenetic changes affect neurotransmitters that lead to pair-bond formation.
Love really does change your brain — at least, if you’re a prairie vole. Researchers have shown for the first time that the act of mating induces permanent chemical modifications in the chromosomes, affecting the expression of genes that regulate sexual and monogamous behaviour. The study is published today in Nature Neuroscience1.
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) have long been of interest to neuroscientists and endocrinologists who study the social behaviour of animals, in part because this species forms monogamous pair bonds — essentially mating for life. The voles' pair bonding, sharing of parental roles and egalitarian nest building in couples makes them a good model for understanding the biology of monogamy and mating in humans.
Previous studies have shown that the neurotransmitters oxytocin and vasopressin play a major part in inducing and regulating the formation of the pair bond. Monogamous prairie voles are known to have higher levels of receptors for these neurotransmitters than do voles who have yet to mate; and when otherwise promiscuous montane voles (M. montanus) are dosed with oxytocin and vasopressin, they adopt the monogamous behaviour of their prairie cousins.
Because behaviour seemed to play an active part in changing the neurobiology of the animals, scientists suspected that epigenetic factors were involved. These are chemical modifications to the chromosomes that affect how genes are transcribed or suppressed, as opposed to changes in the gene sequences themselves.
Love potion
To look for clues of epigenetic agents at play in monogamous behaviour, neuroscientist Mohamed Kabbaj and his team at Florida State University in Tallahassee took voles which had been housed together for 6 hours but had not mated. The researchers injected drugs into the voles' brains near a region called the nucleus accumbens, which is closely associated with...
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
So, it’s possible that a chemical imbalance in the brain is also the cause of homosexuality?
Any thought or focus on an issue or tendency could possibly be linked to a set of chemical reactions in the brain, no?
A huge component, if not all, of our thoughts have a chemical basis. That’s why we have such things as behaviour-altering chemicals.
We are chemical, in our elements.
A huge component, if not all, of our thoughts have a chemical basis. That’s why we have such things as behaviour-altering chemicals.
We are chemical, in our elements.
For human females, oxytocin release is what makes them ‘love’ someone. And that often is an orgasmic release.
Is this a 3 1/2 million dollar "study" that tells us ... what ?
I have spent a lot of time worrying about the prairie vole. These findings have eased my mind. Now I can rest.
> So, it’s possible that a chemical imbalance in the brain is also the cause of homosexuality?
If so, please develop the antidote fast and spike the purified water st the next GLAAD convention. Now THAT would be fun to watch...lol
Maybe they are working on Love Potion # 9
Hilary needs to give Bubba a good dose of oxytocin and vasopressin to keep him at home
From the article: the act of mating induces permanent chemical modifications in the chromosomes, affecting the expression of genes that regulate sexual and monogamous behaviour.
I believe it is higly probably that homosexuality can be cured chemically. Any comments?
It's been known for a long time that a large percentage of homosexuals were molested as children. If a young person's first orgasmic experience was with someone of the same sex, that could affect which sex they "bond" to.
Absolutely and this is why I believe that an openly homosexual Boy Scout presents a real opportunity for us. The longer a person believes themselve to be homosexual, the harder the change. If we can intervene, every conversion toward Christ and away from the homosexual lifestyle weakens the Pink Mafia.
It’s a golden opportunity to undo three generations worth of damage and reclaim marriage.
I’d also like to reclaim the rainbow, but a child of God comes first and foremost.
I have recently read a hypothesis that male homosexuality may be caused by an overabundance of fertility hormones in the mother’s body at the time she becomes pregnant. Those hormones change the development of the fetus’ brain.
To me, that suggests that the male homosexual’s brain may have epigenetic changes. Epigenetic modifications do not change the genetic sequence, but only how genes are expressed. I believe that if the epigenetic changes can be undone (with drugs and behavioral therapy), male homosexuals could be cured.
I don’t know about female homosexuals. I have not seen any hypotheses to describe their affliction. I just think of poor Chastity Bono, and how mentally ill that poor girl is, to the point of having herself surgically mutilated. She was such a cute little girl...
Fags and the elite believe they are normal. Don't look for funding from the NIH, even with the tab the government pays for highly active antiretroviral drugs.
I know. I think it is absolutely reprehensible that there is such resistance to researching treatments for mental illnesses that fall into the sexual category. Why the discrimination against these people, when every other kind of mental illness gets plenty of funding?
I know, it would reduce the knee-jerk mantra against freedom-lovers to "racist sexist!" instead of "racist sexist homophobe!"
LOL!
When I was living in the Los Angeles area in the 80's, I would often go to Sonny Bono's restaurant in West Hollywood. Chastity would be there hanging out with her dad, or working the hostess desk. She was a cute girl and a real sweetheart. When I see what that little girl has become, I'm left speechless.
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