Serum NGF levels increase during lactation and following maternal aggression in mice

In the present study, serum levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) were assessed in virgin and in lactating female CD-1 mice. In the case of the lactating females, NGF levels were assessed both under basal conditions and 60 and 186 min following a 10 min encounter with a male or a nonlactating female mouse. Basal serum NGF levels of lactating females were higher than those of virgin females but did not increase significantly above base after an aggressive encounter with a male or a female conspecific. Female intruders were attacked in a ritualized manner. In contrast, males received numerous bites to vulnerable regions of their body. A positive correlation was found between serum NGF levels and pattern of aggression in females confronting male conspecifics. Thus, in lactating mice, serum NGF levels following an aggressive encounter relate to the specific pattern of behavior the female uses to defend the offspring.