Paternal deprivation induces vigilance-avoidant behavior and accompanies sex-specific alterations in stress reactivity and central proinflammatory cytokine response in California mice (Peromyscus californicus).

Greater social vigilance behavior was demonstrated in paternally deprived mice while they avoided social interaction with a novel same-sex conspecific; however, in response to a familiar same-sex conspecific, paternal deprivation increased social vigilance behavior but only in females. It is possible that different neurobiological mechanisms underlie these observed behavioral outcomes as sex-specific central proinflammatory cytokine and stress responsivity were observed in paternally deprived offspring.