title: Maternal influences on adult stress and anxiety-like behavior in C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice: a cross-fostering study.
abstract: The quality of maternal care during early life has a dramatic impact on later stress reactivity and anxiety. Two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, differ in levels of maternal care, stress reactivity, and anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. However, the relative contribution of early environmental factors and genetic predisposition to differences in these strains is not known. Maternal care, plasma corticosterone levels, emotionality, and hippocampal and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels were measured in adult C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice. Litters were then cross-fostered and anxiety-like behavior and stress reactivity was assessed in adulthood. Significantly less maternal care and elevated stress-induced corticosterone and emotionality was observed in BALB/cJ compared to C57BL/6J mice. Yet, no strain differences were found in hippocampal or paraventricular nucleus glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels. Cross-fostering did alter anxiety-like behavior and basal corticosterone levels, which suggests that while genetic differences account for some of the variations between these two strains early rearing conditions also contribute.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, 93106-9660, USA. priebe@psych.ucsb.edu
authors.forename: Kristianne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Priebe
authors.forename: Russell D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: Darlene D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Helene M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sisti
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Bruce S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.forename: Wayne G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Brake
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism; D012931:Social Environment; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D003345:Corticosterone