Prenatal stress increases the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis response in young and adult rats.
Prenatal stress is considered as an early epigenetic factor able to induce long-lasting alterations in brain structures and functions. It is still unclear whether prenatal stress can induce long-lasting modifications in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. To test this possibility the effects of restraint stress in pregnant rats during the third week of gestation were investigated in the functional properties of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptors in the male offspring at 3, 21 and 90 days of age. Plasma corticosterone was significantly elevated in prenatally-stressed rats at 3 and 21 days after exposure to novelty. At 90 days of age, prenatally-stressed rats showed a longer duration of corticosterone secretion after exposure to novelty. No change was observed for type I and type II receptor densities 3 days after birth, but both receptor subtypes were decreased in the hippocampus of prenatally-stressed offspring at 21 and 90 days of life. These findings suggest that prenatal stress produces long term changes in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the offspring.
Henry
C
C
Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U. 259, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
Kabbaj
M
M
Simon
H
H
Le Moal
M
M
Maccari
S
S
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000502:physiology; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D003345:Corticosterone