title: Effect of Valeriana fauriei extract on the offspring of adult rats exposed to prenatal stress.
abstract: Exposing a pregnant female to stress is a risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in the offspring. In the present study, we examined the effects of an extract of Valeriana fauriei (VF) root (100 mg/kg/day, administered on postnatal days 35-56) on behavioral patterns as well as protein expression in the prefrontal cortex of the offspring of prenatally-stressed rats. Modified behavioral tests, including the forced swim test, the open field test, a social interaction test and the prepulse inhibition test were performed and many of the parameters were found to decrease in the offspring of the rats exposed to PNS compared with the offspring of the non-stressed rats. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of the prefrontal cortex revealed that the downregulation of several neurodevelopmental proteins in the offspring of rats dams exposed to PNS was reversed after treatment with VF extract. These findings demonstrate that the downregulation of several proteins in the prefrontal cortex of the offspring of prenatally‑stressed rats may be associated with subsequent behavioral changes, and that these phenomena recovered following VF treatment. Our results suggest that VF decreases the incidence of prenatal stress related-psychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hwayoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hansol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Development of Ginseng and Medical Plants Research Institute, Rural Administration, Eumseong, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Ock
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sanghyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Convergence Medical Science and Brain Korea 21 Plus Program, Institute of Korean Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ik-Hyun
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Tack
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hak-Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D065808:Prepulse Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013550:Swimming; D014632:Valerian / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D003345:Corticosterone