title: Effect of chronic stress during adolescence in prefrontal cortex structure and function.
abstract: Critical periods of plasticity (CPPs) are defined by developmental intervals wherein neuronal circuits are most susceptible to environmental influences. The CPP of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which controls executive functions, extends up to early adulthood and, like other cortical areas, reflects the maturation of perineuronal nets (PNNs) surrounding the cell bodies of specialized inhibitory interneurons. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of chronic stress on both structure and function of the adolescent's rat PFC. We subjected P28 rats to stressful situations for 7, 15 and 35days and evaluated the spatial distribution of histochemically-labeled PNNs in both the Medial Prefrontal Cortex (MPFC) and the Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) and PFC-associated behavior as well. Chronic stress affects PFC development, slowing PNN maturation in both the (MPFC) and (OFC) while negatively affecting functions associated with these areas. We speculate upon the risks of prolonged exposure to stressful environments in human adolescents and the possibility of stunted development of executive functions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro, 1, 66035-160 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Otávio Augusto
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: de Araújo Costa Folha
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro, 1, 66035-160 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlomagno Pacheco
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bahia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro, 1, 66035-160 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gisele Priscila Soares
authors.initials: GPS
authors.lastname: de Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 1, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson Manoel
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Herculano
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nicole Leite Galvão
authors.initials: NLG
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Bernardete Cordeiro
authors.initials: MBC
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor Kenji Medeiros
authors.initials: VKM
authors.lastname: Shiramizu
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cecília
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Menezes Galvão
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro, 1, 66035-160 Belém, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walther Augusto
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro, 1, 66035-160 Belém, PA, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, 59078-970 Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address: apereira@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Chronic stress; Critical period; Perineuronal nets; Plasticity; Pre-frontal cortex