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Maternal glucocorticoid hormone influences nerve growth factor expression in the developing rat brain
S Scaccianoce1, A Catalani, K Lombardo
1Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology, University La Sapienza P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome Italy.
Neuroreport
|October 6, 2001
Summary
Maternal stress in rats, indicated by increased corticosterone, alters nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in offspring. These changes in the developing brain may explain long-lasting behavioral and biochemical modifications observed in pups.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Maternal stress during development can lead to long-lasting effects on offspring.
- Plasma corticosterone levels are a key indicator of stress in mammals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal hypercorticosteronemia on nerve growth factor (NGF) concentrations in specific brain regions of rat pups.
- To determine if these NGF changes correlate with known long-lasting modifications in offspring.
Main Methods:
- Rat pups were nursed by mothers administered corticosterone-enriched water from delivery.
- NGF concentrations were measured in the basal forebrain, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus of male and female offspring at 11 days of age.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in NGF was observed in the basal forebrain of both male and female rat pups.
- NGF levels in the prefrontal cortex remained unchanged.
- An increase in hippocampal NGF was detected specifically in male offspring.
Conclusions:
- Moderate maternal hypercorticosteronemia modulates NGF levels in the developing rat brain.
- These NGF alterations in specific brain regions likely contribute to the observed long-lasting biochemical and behavioral changes in offspring exposed to maternal stress during lactation.
