Adversity before conception will affect adult progeny in rats.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Reproductive Science

Background:

• Maternal stress is a known factor influencing offspring development.
• The impact of stress experienced by the dam *before* conception on progeny behavior is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of preconceptual stress (PCS) in female rats on the affective and social behavior of their adult offspring.
• To determine if the timing of mating relative to PCS affects these behavioral outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Virgin female rats were exposed to unpredictable stressors for 7 days (PCS).
• Rats were mated either immediately after stress (PCS0) or 2 weeks later (PCS2).
• Offspring behavior was assessed in adulthood using tests for social interaction, acoustic startle, shuttle avoidance, and elevated maze activity.

Main Results:

• PCS offspring exhibited reduced social interaction.
• Fear responses differed by sex: PCS males were less fearful, while PCS females were more fearful in the acoustic startle test.
• PCS0 males showed better shock avoidance, and PCS0 females displayed increased activity and anxiety in the elevated maze.
• A 2-week interval between PCS and mating partially mitigated effects on activity and shock avoidance but not social behavior or fear.

Conclusions:

• Preconceptual stress in dams significantly influences adult offspring's affective and social behaviors.
• The effects are dependent on the time elapsed between PCS and conception, the specific behavior measured, and the offspring's sex.
• Even stress experienced well before pregnancy can have lasting behavioral consequences across generations.