Influence of perinatal malnutrition and early handling on the pituitary-adrenal response to noxious stimuli in adult rats.
A series of experiments examined the influence of perinatal malnutrition and infantile stimulation (preweaning handling) on the pituitary-adrenal response to novelty, electric shock and ether in adult rats. Neither early experience variable altered the magnitude or time course of the plasma corticosterone response to the combined stress of ether exposure and cardiac puncture. Although perinatal malnutrition did not change the magnitude of the adrenocortical response 15 min following a 1-min exposure to a novel test chamber alone or with 0.25 or 1.0 mA of scrambled electric shock, early handled subjects of both nutrition groups displayed lower corticoid elevations compared to nonhandled rats. Additionally, all subjects showed a lower corticoid elevation to the novel chamber without shock compared to the chamber plus electric shock, with females being able to display a differential corticoid response to the two shock levels. Perinatal malnutrition did not alter the magnitude and time course of the ACTH response to a 1-min exposure to a novel chamber alone or with ether. Thus, perinatal malnutrition does not appear to alter either the basal levels of ACTH and corticosterone or the response of these hormones following the stressors examined. Early handling modulated the response to novelty and electric shock but not ether, suggesting that the latter response is mediated by brain regions not influenced by infantile stimulation. Finally, the results of these studies indicate that the magnitude of the pituitary-adrenal response reflects different intensity levels of electric shock in female rats.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004597:Electroshock; D004987:Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010500:Perinatology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013997:Time Factors
D004987:Ethers; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone