title: Repeated Three-Hour Maternal Separation Induces Depression-Like Behavior and Affects the Expression of Hippocampal Plasticity-Related Proteins in C57BL/6N Mice.
abstract: Adverse early life experiences can negatively affect behaviors later in life. Maternal separation (MS) has been extensively investigated in animal models in the adult phase of MS. The study aimed to explore the mechanism by which MS negatively affects C57BL/6N mice, especially the effects caused by MS in the early phase. Early life adversity especially can alter plasticity functions. To determine whether adverse early life experiences induce changes in plasticity in the brain hippocampus, we established an MS paradigm. In this research, the mice were treated with mild (15 min, MS15) or prolonged (180 min, MS180) maternal separation from postnatal day 2 to postnatal day 21. The mice underwent a forced swimming test, a tail suspension test, and an open field test, respectively. Afterward, the mice were sacrificed on postnatal day 31 to determine the effects of MS on early life stages. Results implied that MS induces depression-like behavior and the effects may be mediated partly by interfering with the hippocampal GSK-3β-CREB signaling pathway and by reducing the levels of some plasticity-related proteins.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Yaoyao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Zhongli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
authors.forename: Guihua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C492004:Creb1 protein, mouse; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3