title: Maternal caffeine exposure alters neuromotor development and hippocampus acetylcholinesterase activity in rat offspring.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal caffeine intake on the neuromotor development of rat offspring and on acetylcholine degradation and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression in the hippocampus of 14-day-old infant rats. Rat dams were treated with caffeine (0.3g/L) throughout gestation and lactation until the pups were 14 days old. The pups were divided into three groups: (1) control, (2) caffeine, and (3) washout caffeine. The washout group received a caffeine solution until the seventh postnatal day (P7). Righting reflex (RR) and negative geotaxis (NG) were assessed to evaluate postural parameters as an index of neuromotor reflexes. An open-field (OF) test was conducted to assess locomotor and exploratory activities as well as anxiety-like behaviors. Caffeine treatment increased both RR and NG latency times. In the OF test, the caffeine group had fewer outer crossings and reduced locomotion compared to control, while the washout group showed increased inner crossings in relation to the other groups and fewer rearings only in comparison to the control group. We found decreased AChE activity in the caffeine group compared to the other groups, with no alteration in AChE transcriptional regulation. Chronic maternal exposure to caffeine promotes important alterations in neuromotor development. These results highlight the ability of maternal caffeine intake to interfere with cholinergic neurotransmission during brain development.
authors.affiliation: Medical Sciences-Medicine School, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil; Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Claudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andressa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liciane Fernandes
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Medical Sciences-Medicine School, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil; Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Leal
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Scarabelot
authors.affiliation: Neurochemistry and Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine (INCT-TM)-Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosane Souza
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine (INCT-TM)-Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauricio Reis
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bogo
authors.affiliation: Neurochemistry and Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine (INCT-TM)-Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Katiucia Marques
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Capiotti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine (INCT-TM)-Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiza Wilges
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Kist
authors.affiliation: Neurochemistry and Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Translational Medicine (INCT-TM)-Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bonan
authors.affiliation: Medical Sciences-Medicine School, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wolnei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Caumo
authors.affiliation: Medical Sciences-Medicine School, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil; Pharmacology of Pain and Neuromodulation Laboratory, Animals Models, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, ICBS, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; Animal Experimentation Unit and Graduate Research Group, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: iracitorres@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Iraci L S
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000633:toxicity*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase
keywords: Acetylcholinesterase; Caffeine; Neuromotor development; Pregnancy