Maternal adrenalectomy and adult offspring in a conflict situation in the rat.
The effects of the absence of maternal adrenals during pregnancy (P), during lactation (L), during pregnancy and lactation (PL) were studied on pain suppressed behavior (punished drinking test) of the adult offspring in comparison with controls (C). The female L offspring showed a lower responsiveness to the anxiogenic stimulus, as demonstrated by increased water intake, decreased percentage of ineffective licks, and decreased time to perform 300 licks compared to C. The male L behavior was not affected. Reduced growth was not responsible for the reduced anxiogenic reactivity because also both male and female PL offspring had lower weight than C, but did not show any significant effect. Pain threshold in the tail flick test was the same in all types of offspring. Thus, absence of maternal adrenals, specifically during lactation, significantly affects behavior of female offspring. It is discussed whether this is due to the lack of a physiological influence of maternal adrenal hormones on brain ontogenesis (hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors), or on the development of the brain-pituitary-adrenal system during neonatal life of the offspring.
Catalani
A
A
Institute of Pharmacology 2nd Chair, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome, Italy.
Toth
E
E
Gambini
B
B
Giuliani
A
A
Lorentz
G
G
Angelucci
L
L
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004326:Drinking; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors