The findings with regard to the brain changes induced by Nestlets establish that this EE treatment is associated with both brain and wound healing changes. However, these findings do not establish a causal link between these brain changes and the wound healing. Whether these two effects of the EE treatment are linked mechanistically will require further study. We have started to examine this question in our laboratory in a study that delivers a central oxytocin receptor antagonist and observing whether it blocks the beneficial effect of both treatment with Nestlets and oxytocin on wound healing. Furthermore, in this study we are examining peripheral stress hormone levels to see if these are altered by treatment with Nestlets, oxytocin, and oxytocin receptor antagonists. Also, AMN107 while we can conclude that oxytocin mimicked the beneficial effect of nest building on impaired wound healing in isolation reared rats, we cannot be certain that the wound healing changes resulting from provision of Nestlets owes to the same mechanism as the wound healing that resulted from the oxytocin, as oxytocin has both central and peripheral mechanisms. Our current study described above should provide significant insight into whether oxytocin alters wound healing through a similar pathway to that of the Nestlets. Nonetheless,PR-957 this study clearly establishes that brain, behavior, and wound healing are all altered by both the EE of nest building and oxytocin. In total, the findings indicate an association between the effects of nest making on wound healing in isolation reared rats and administration of the pro-bonding hormone oxytocin. Thus, this animal model can potentially be exploited in future studies to develop behavioral and pharmacological strategies to treat impaired physical health that has a central or ‘‘stress’’ based component, particularly stress due to social isolation, neglect, or deprivation states. Blood pressure measurements are highly variable. This is a fact that is commonly not appreciated and variability of blood pressure in an individual could be as important as the magnitude of the blood pressure. Measured blood pressure varies due to a large number of factors such as measurement technique, accuracy of equipment, and multiple patient factors such as anxiety.