title: Protective effect of melatonin against maternal deprivation-induced acute hippocampal damage in infant rats.
abstract: It is known that maternal deprivation induces hippocampal damage in the developing brains. In the present study, we examined the effects of melatonin on maternal deprivation-induced hippocampal damage both during and after stress-hyporesponsive period (SHRP). Hippocampal damage was examined by cresyl violet staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The results showed that a single episode of maternal deprivation for 24 h at post-SHRP induced neuronal loss in hippocampus regions of the brain in the infant rats, while it did not influence hippocampal neurons in SHRP. Melatonin prevented maternal deprivation-induced hippocampal damage in the infant rats at post-SHRP. These results suggest that melatonin is a potentially beneficial agent to improve the neurobehavioral outcomes of maternal deprivation in later developmental period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey. kazim.tugyan@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Kazim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tugyan
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Durgul
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Ulker
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Cetin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pekcetin
authors.forename: Guven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erbil
authors.forename: Atac
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonmez
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D048588:Benzoxazines; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010078:Oxazines; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D048588:Benzoxazines; D004396:Coloring Agents; D010078:Oxazines; C028911:cresyl violet; D008550:Melatonin