title: Interaction between neonatal allopregnanolone administration and early maternal separation: effects on adolescent and adult behaviors in male rat.
abstract: Endogenous neurosteroid level fluctuations are related to several emotional and behavioral alterations. Neurosteroids also have important roles during neurodevelopment, with there being a relationship between modification of their levels in neurodevelopmental periods and behavioral alterations in adolescence and adulthood. Early maternal separation (EMS) is a stressful event that also alters neurodevelopment and adolescent and adult behaviors. The aim of the present study is to analyze the interaction between the effects of the neonatal alteration of allopregnanolone (AlloP), neurosteroid that increase its levels after acute stress presentation, and EMS on adolescent exploration and adult anxiety and sensorimotor gating in male rats. AlloP (10 mg/kg s.c.) was administrated between postnatal day 5 (PN5) and PN9, and a single 24-hour period of EMS was carried out on PN9. Exploration was analyzed at PN40 and PN60. At adult age (PN85), anxiety was tested by means of the elevated plus-maze test (EPM), and sensorimotor gating by means of prepulse inhibition test (PPI). PPI deterioration has been considered as a reliable indicator of diseases such as schizophrenia. Results showed that the previous neonatal AlloP administration neutralized the effects of EMS in the adolescent exploration (increase of traveled distance and decrease of head-dips). In adult age, an anxiolytic-like profile was observed as a consequence of EMS. Finally, EMS and neonatal AlloP disrupted PPI. Taken together, these data show the important role that physiological neonatal AlloP levels and stressful events play in neural development, adult behavior and vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.
authors: Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Llidó
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Mòdol
authors: Sònia
authors: S
authors: Darbra
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Pallarès
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011280:Pregnanolone