title: Effect of prenatal stress on expression of glutathione system in neonatal rat brain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prenatal stress is known to adversely affect the fetal brain development     and also neuronal loss. The mechanism(s) associated with prenatal stress induced     developmental neurotoxicity remains obscure. Few studies point to the     glutathione (GSH) antioxidant system which is an important molecular target for     this toxicant. Hence the present study investigates the effect of prenatal     stress on glutathione system in neonatal rat brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three     to four months old pregnant Wistar rats were subjected to restraint stress     during early or late gestational period. The offspring were sacrificed on 40th     day and their brain homogenate was subjected to antioxidant studies. The serum     corticosterone and adrenal ascorbic acid levels were also estimated from     offspring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prenatal stress has resulted in an increase in the serum     corticosterone and reduced adrenal ascorbic acid levels in neonatal pups.     Prenatal stress during early or late gestation life showed reduced glutathione,     glutathione reductase (GSSG-Rd) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in     offspring brain homogenate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that stress during     early or late gestation period affect glutathione system in developing neonatal     rat brain, which is associated with elevated serum corticosterone and reduced     adrenal ascorbic acid levels.
authors.affiliation: Manipal University, Kasturba Medical College, Department of Anatomy, Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Sudhanshu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.forename: Sampath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madhyastha
authors.forename: Gayathri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003345:Corticosterone