title: Antenatal betamethasone produces protracted changes in anxiety-like behaviors and in the expression of microtubule-associated protein 2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the tyrosine kinase B receptor in the rat cerebellar cortex.
abstract: Using classic Golgi staining methods, we previously showed that the administration of synthetic glucocorticoid betamethasone in equivalent doses to those given in cases of human premature birth generates long-term alterations in Purkinje cell dendritic development in the cerebellar cortex. In the present study, we evaluated whether betamethasone alters the immunohistochemical expression of proteins that participate in cerebellar Purkinje cell dendritic development and maintenance, including microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the tyrosine kinase B receptor (TrkB), which are located predominantly in the cerebellar molecular layer where Purkinje cell dendritogenesis occurs. Consistent with our previous Golgi stain studies, we observed that animals prenatally exposed to a single course of betamethasone showed long-term alterations in the expression of MAP2, BDNF and TrkB. Additionally, these protracted molecular changes were accompanied by anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze and marble burying tests.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. Electronic address: rodrigo.pascual@ucv.cl.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. Electronic address: valencia.narbona.lab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. Electronic address: carlos.bustamante@ucv.cl.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bustamante
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C489787:MAP2 protein, rat; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D001623:Betamethasone; D020813:Receptor, trkB
keywords: Anxiety-like behavior; BDNF; Betamethasone; Cerebellar cortex; MAP2; TrkB