title: Effects of maternal stress during pregnancy on learning and memory via hippocampal BDNF, Arc (Arg3.1) expression in offspring.
abstract: The intrauterine environment has a significant long-term impact on individual's life, this study was designed to investigate the effect of stress during pregnancy on offspring's learning and memory abilities and analyze its mechanisms from the expression of BDNF and Arc in the hippocampus of the offspring. A rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy was mating from 3rd day during been subjecting to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The body weights and behavioral changes were recorded, and plasma corticosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. The learning and memory abilities of the offspring were measured by Morris water maze testing from PND 42. The expression of hippocampal BDNF and Arc mRNA and protein were respectively measured using RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results indicated that an elevation was observed in the plasma corticosterone level of rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy, a reduction in the crossing and rearing movement times and the preference for sucrose. The body weight of maternal stress's offspring was lower than the control group, and the plasma corticosterone level was increased. Chronic stress during pregnancy had a significant impact on the spatial learning and memory of the offspring. The expression of BDNF mRNA and protein, Arc protein in offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy was attenuated and some relationships existed between these parameters. Collectively, these findings disclose that long-time maternal stress during pregnancy could destroy spatial learning and memory abilities of the offspring, the mechanism of which is related to been improving maternal plasma corticosterone and reduced hippocampal BDNF, Arc of offspring rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, College of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Su-Zhen
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, College of Medical, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226000, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, China. Electronic address: liujiwendr@163.com.
authors.forename: Ji-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: b021770@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Tzi Bun
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004326:Drinking; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C092069:activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: Arc/Arg3.1; Bdnf; Learning and memory; Maternal chronic stress; Offspring; Pregnancy