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Using Chronic Social Stress to Model Postpartum Depression in Lactating Rodents
Published on: June 10, 2013
Subchronic perinatal asphyxia increased anxiety-and depression-like behaviors in the rat offspring
Insights
Subchronic prenatal asphyxia (SPA) during sensitive brain development stages induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in adult male rats. This study provides a model for investigating prenatal programming of psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Perinatal asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and adult neurological disorders.
- The developing brain is highly sensitive to oxygen deprivation, raising concerns about long-term neurological consequences.
- Prenatal programming may link suboptimal intrauterine conditions to adult behavioral changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of subchronic prenatal asphyxia (SPA) on behavioral outcomes in offspring.
- To assess SPA's role in the prenatal programming of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in a rat model.
- To establish a model for studying asphyxia during pregnancy and its impact on brain maturation.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant Wistar/DV rats were exposed to reduced oxygen (10.5% O2) on gestation days 19-20 for 4 hours daily.
- Offspring behavior was evaluated using a battery of tests: Open Field (OF), Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), Light/Dark test (L/D), Forced Swim Test (FST), and Stress-Induced Hyperthermia (SIH).
- Behavioral assessments focused on anxiety-like, depression-like, locomotor, and exploration activities.
Main Results:
- SPA did not alter locomotor or exploration activities in the Open Field test.
- Anxiety-like behaviors were induced by SPA in the EPM and L/D tests, particularly in male offspring.
- Increased stress response was observed in both male and female SPA groups during SIH; male SPA offspring exhibited reduced climbing in the FST, indicative of depression-like behavior.
Conclusions:
- Perinatal asphyxia during critical gestation periods (days 19-20) leads to anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in rat offspring.
- The SPA model effectively demonstrates prenatal programming of behavioral changes associated with psychiatric conditions.
- This model is suitable for further research into the mechanisms underlying prenatal programming of psychiatric diseases.
Objectives:
Perinatal asphyxia is one of the major cause of mortality in newborns and cause of neurological disorders in adulthood. Brain damage is of the most concern due to high sensitivity of nervous system to suboptimal intrauterine oxygen condition. The aim of this study was to assess effect of subchronic prenatal asphyxia (SPA) during sensitive stages of brain maturation on behavioral changes in rats, as a method of prenatal programming of anxiety and depression-like behavior.
Methods:
Pregnant Wistar/DV females were exposed to environment containing lower oxygen (10.5% O2) during sensitive stages of brain maturation (day 19-20 of gestation) for 4h a day and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in offspring were assessed using battery of behavioral tests--Open field (OF), Elevated plus maze (EPM), Light/dark test (L/D), Forced swim test (FST), and Stress induced hyperthermia (SIH).
Results:
OF did not induced changes of locomotor and exploration activities. The anxiety-like behavior was induced by SPA in EPM and L/D. These results were significant in males SPA group only. The higher response to the stress stimulus in SIH was recorded in both males and females SPA group. The intensity of climbing on the walls of cylinder in FST in males SPA group was significantly decreased indicating depression-like behavior in adulthood.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, we found out that perinatal asphyxia on 19th and 20th day of gestation caused anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in the rat offspring. Our model of SPA has proved to be useful to study the conditions of asphyxia during pregnancy, and could be suitable model for studies uncovering the mechanisms of prenatal programming of psychiatric diseases.
