title: Impact of maternal melatonin suppression on forced swim and tail suspension behavioral despair tests in adult offspring.
abstract: Melatonin is an essential hormone, which regulates circadian rhythms and has antioxidative and anticarcinogenic effects. As melatonin secretion is suppressed by light, this effect was examined on the offspring of the Wistar rat females exposed to continuous light (500 lux) during the second half of the pregnancy (day 12 to 21). Control rats were kept under a 12:12 light-dark cycle. The resulted male offspring have been behaviorally assessed for depression after postnatal day 60 by using Forced Swim Test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST). Animals resulted from the melatonin deprived pregnancies have developed an abnormal response in the TST, but a normal FST behavior. Also, TST active movement was different in the melatonin suppression group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that intrauterine melatonin deprivation might be linked to the depressive like behavior in adult male offspring.
authors: Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: S E
authors: SE
authors: Voiculescu
authors: Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Rosca
authors: Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Zeca
authors: Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Zagrean
authors: Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Zagrean
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013550:Swimming; D013623:Tail
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin
keywords: continuous light; depression; melatonin; neurodevelopment