title: Early preweaning methamphetamine and postweaning rearing conditions interfere with the development of peripheral stress parameters and neural growth factors in gerbils.
abstract: Adrenal steroid hormones and neuronal growth factors are two interacting systemic factors that mediate the environment's influence on the brain's structure and function. In order to further elucidate their role and relationship in the effects of early stressful experience and isolated rearing (IR), this study measured blood corticosterone titres and relative adrenal weights and assessed nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in brain regions of both hemispheres of young adult Mongolian gerbils injected on postnatal day 14 with a single high dose of methamphetamine (MA) or saline and raised after weaning either in an enriched or an impoverished environment. Irrespective of MA challenge, IR decreased corticosterone titres to about half, but increased relative adrenal weights. BDNF concentrations were decreased by IR in saline-injected animals in the left prefrontal and parietal cortices and right entorhinal and hippocampal cortices, and in the subcortical regions of both hemispheres. NGF concentrations were unaltered by IR in saline-injected animals, but increased in MA challenged animals in the entorhinal/hippocampal cortices and subcortical areas of both hemispheres. MA application induced shifts of the lateral asymmetry in NGF contents in prefrontal and entorhinal cortices. The results suggest that an early pharmacological traumatization can set a switch for further brain development, and that growth factor concentrations might possibly be influenced by peripheral stress hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroanatomy, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld, Germany. Konrad.Lehmann@uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Enrique Garea
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kratz
authors.forename: Gunther H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Ralph R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Dawirs
authors.forename: Gertraud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teuchert-Noodt
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004777:Environment; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D012934:Social Isolation; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D008694:Methamphetamine; D003345:Corticosterone