This research investigated the cognitive and neuroendocrine differences between male and female midday gerbils (Meriones meridianu) in novel object and social recognition test. Immunohidtochemistry method was used to detect the number of neurons involved in the synthesis of oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP) and dopamine (DA). And the serum levels of OT and AVP were detected by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the time of exploring new objects both male and female gerbils was significantly higher than that of old objects, and the identification indexes were no significant difference between the male and female (P>0.05). The male gerbils decreased the exploring time to the repeated stimulus a with the increasing of exploring number, and the exploration time for strange stimulus b is significantly higher than that of the stimulus a (P <0.05); however, the female gerbils did not have such a performance. The number of OT neurons in the Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) and Supraoptic Nucleus (SON) in males gerbils were significantly lower than these in females (P < 0.05) and the number of DA neurons in the Substantia Nigra (SN) (P <0.01) in males gerbils were significantly higher than these in females; however, the number of DA neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) in males were significantly lower than these in females (P <0.01). There was no significant different in serum OT and AVP levels between male and female gerbils. In summary, there was no significant difference in new object cognition between male and female gerbils, but the social cognition of male gerbils was stranger than that of female gerbils. On the neuroendocrine level, the number of OT neurons in PVN and SON as well as the number of DA neurons in SN and VTA showed gender differences between male and female midday gerbils.

本研究通过对雌雄子午沙鼠进行新物体识别和社会认知实验，运用免疫组化方法检测其相关脑区合成催产素（OT）、加压素（AVP）和多巴胺（DA）能的神经元数量，采用酶联免疫试验（ELISA）方法检测了其血清中OT、AVP的水平，探究了雌雄子午沙鼠的两性认知差异及其神经内分泌水平的差异。结果表明，雌雄子午沙鼠对新物体的探究时间均要显著高于旧物体，雌雄子午沙鼠的辨别指数无显著差异（P＞0.05）；雄性子午沙鼠随着探究次数的增加对重复刺激鼠a的探究时间不断减少，对陌生刺激鼠b的探究时间显著高于刺激鼠a（P＜0.05）；雌性子午沙鼠没有此趋势。雄性子午沙鼠OT能神经元数量在下丘脑室旁核(PVN)和视上核(SON)均要显著少于雌性（P＜0.05）；雄性个体DA能神经元数量在黑质显著高于雌性（P＜0.01）；然而雄性个体DA能神经元数量在腹侧被盖区显著少于雌性（P＜0.01）；雌雄子午沙鼠血清OT、AVP水平均无显著差异。综上所述，雌雄子午沙鼠对新物体的识别能力无显著差异，然而雄性子午沙鼠的社会认知能力强于雌性。在神经内分泌水平上，雌雄子午沙鼠PVN和SON中OT能神经元数量、黑质和腹侧背盖区的DA能神经元数量均呈现出了两性差异。