title: Short- and long-term effects of stress during adolescence on emotionality and HPA function of animals exposed to alcohol prenatally.
abstract: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with extremely high rates of psychopathologies, which may be mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysregulation observed in exposed individuals. Of relevance, PAE carries an increased risk of exposure to stressful environments throughout life. Importantly, stressful experiences during adolescence increase vulnerability to psychopathologies. However, little is known about how adolescent stressful experiences in the context of PAE-induced HPA dysregulation may further alter the developmental trajectory and potentially contribute to the disproportionally high rate of psychopathologies observed in this population. Here we investigate the short- and long-term effects of adolescent chronic mild stress (CMS) on the emergence of anxiety-/depressive-like behaviors (open-field and forced swim test - FST) and on HPA activity (corticosterone and type 1 CRH receptor - CRHR1) in PAE male and female rats. Under non-CMS conditions, open field results indicate that PAE induced inappropriate behavior (increased time in center) in males and females, with increased activity in female adolescents, but anxiety-like behavior in adult PAE females. Conversely, FST results indicate that PAE induced depressive-like behavior in adolescent males. Exposure to CMS resulted in increased activity in adolescent males and anxiety-like behaviors in adult females. Moreover, PAE and/or CMS altered corticosterone and CRHR1 expression in the mPFC and amygdala. Together, these results suggest that PAE and adolescent CMS induce dynamic neurobehavioral alterations that manifest differently depending on the age and sex of the animal. These results highlight the importance of using both sexes as well as an ontogenetic approach when investigating the effects of environmental adversity.
authors: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Electronic address: craineki@mail.ubc.ca.
authors: Charlis
authors: C
authors: Raineki
authors: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Leanne
authors: L
authors: Chew
authors: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Perry
authors: P
authors: Mok
authors: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Ellis
authors: Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Joanne
authors: J
authors: Weinberg
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000431:Ethanol; D000099052:CRF Receptor, Type 1; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: Adolescence; Anxiety-like behavior; CRHR1; Chronic mild stress; Depressive-like behavior; Prenatal alcohol exposure