Maternal stress produces learning deficits associated with impairment of NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity.
Stress in adulthood can have a profound effect on physiology and behavior, but the extent to which prolonged maternal stress affects the brain function of offspring when they are adult remains primarily unknown. In the present work, chronic immobilization stress to pregnant mice affected fetal growth and development. When pups born from stressed mice were reared to adulthood in an environment identical to that of nonstressed controls, several physiological parameters were essentially unaltered. However, spatial learning and memory was significantly impaired in the maternally stressed offspring in adulthood. Furthermore, electrophysiological examination revealed a significant reduction in NMDA receptor-mediated long-term potentiation in the CA1 area of hippocampal slices. Subsequent biochemical analysis demonstrated a substantial decrease in NR1 and NR2B subunits of the NMDA receptor in synapses of the hippocampus, and the interaction between these two subunits appeared to be reduced. These results suggest that prolonged maternal stress leads to long-lasting malfunction of the hippocampus, which extends to and is manifested in adulthood.
Son
Gi Hoon
GH
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
Geum
Dongho
D
Chung
Sooyoung
S
Kim
Eun Joo
EJ
Jo
Ji-Hoon
JH
Kim
Chang-Mee
CM
Lee
Kun Ho
KH
Kim
Hyun
H
Choi
Sukwoo
S
Kim
Hyun Taek
HT
Lee
Chang-Joong
CJ
Kim
Kyungjin
K
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
C409466:NR1 NMDA receptor; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate