title: Gender-specific effect of maternal deprivation on anxiety and corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA expression in rats.
abstract: The long-term behavioral and neurochemical effects of 24h maternal separation were assessed in rats of both genders. Maternal deprivation was applied at the age of 9 days, whereas consequences were assessed 3 months later. Deprived rats (irrespective of gender) showed a considerable growth retardation that disappeared till adulthood. The plus-maze performance of control and deprived males did not differ under normal conditions, but deprived males showed more anxiety when the test was applied shortly after stress exposure. CRH mRNA expression in the amygdala, but not in the hypothalamus, was more intense in deprived as compared with control males. Deprived females were not affected. These data suggest that (i) the maternal deprivation induced changes are larger in males than in females, (ii) maternal deprivation induces a latent behavioral disposition towards anxiety that is precipitated by acute stressors, and (iii) the changes noticed in amygdalar CRH expression may serve as mechanisms for the behavioral changes noticed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1450 Budapest, P.O. Box 67 Budapest, Hungary. barna@koki.hu
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barna
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bálint
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baranyi
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bakos
authors.forename: Gábor B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Makara
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004597:Electroshock; D005260:Female; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone