title: Effects of prenatal stress and neonatal handling on anxiety, spatial learning and serotonergic system of male offspring mice.
abstract: Environmental factors during perinatal period have various effects on behavior. The present study examined the effects of prenatal stress and neonatal handling on anxiety and spatial learning of offspring. Prenatal stress increased anxiety-related behavior of adult offspring, whereas neonatal handling had no effect. In contrast, spatial learning was not affected by prenatal stress, but improved by neonatal handling in both prenatally stressed and non-stressed mice. Next, to elucidate possible brain mechanisms mediating effects of environmental factors on behavior, we focused on serotonin (5-HT) system in the frontal cortex and hippocampus which is involved in anxiety and learning. We examined effects of environmental factors on the mRNA expression of 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors in the frontal cortex and hippocampus during postnatal period and adulthood. Both prenatal stress and neonatal handling altered the mRNA expression of 5-HT receptors. These effects were dependent on environmental factors, brain regions and developmental stages. In summary, the present study revealed that prenatal stress and neonatal handling had differential effects on anxiety and spatial learning of offspring, and concomitantly the expression of 5-HT receptors. It was also shown that the effects of prenatal stress on 5-HT system were recovered partially by neonatal handling.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Program in Kansei, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigemi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akatsu
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Program in Kansei, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Program in Kansei, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Program in Kansei, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Program in Kansei, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan; Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan. Electronic address: tshiga@md.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000378:metabolism; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A / Q000378:metabolism; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C / Q000378:metabolism; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044402:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A
keywords: Anxiety; Neonatal handling; Prenatal stress; Serotonin receptor; Spatial learning