Prenatal stress alters the hypothalamic levels of methionine-enkephalin in pup rats.
We examined hypothalamic Methionine-enkephalin levels in offspring (postnatal day 10) from stressed female rats in different period of gestation: Group 1, restraint stress day 2 through 6; group 2, restraint stress day 7 through 11; group 3, restraint stress day 12 through day 16 and group 4, restraint stress day 2 through day 16. The hypothalamic levels of Methionine-enkephalin (134.37 +/- 6.19 pg/mg) in the offspring of stressed females from day 2 to day 6 of gestation were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that obtained in the control group (100.66 +/- 10.13 pg/mg). Similar results were obtained in groups 2 and 3. However, in rat pups from females stressed during 15 days of gestation (group 4) the hypothalamic levels of Methionine-enkephalin (96.5 +/- 6.33 pg/mg) were similar to that obtained in the control group (101.5 +/- 5.15 pg/mg). These results suggest that acute prenatal stress alters the endogenous opioid activity in offspring with possible resultant effects on developmental processes.
Sanchez
M D
MD
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University School of Medicine, Murcia, Spain.
Milanés
M V
MV
Fuente
T
T
Laorden
M L
ML
D000818:Animals; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine