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Prenatal stress-induced alterations in major physiological systems correlate with gut microbiota composition in

Anna V Golubeva1, Sean Crampton2, Lieve Desbonnet1

  • 1Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|July 3, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal stress (PNS) in rats leads to long-term issues in offspring, including exaggerated stress responses, altered gut microbiota, and impaired gastrointestinal and respiratory function, impacting adult health.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Early-life adverse experiences, such as prenatal stress (PNS), are linked to neurodevelopmental, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders.
  • The long-term physiological consequences of gestational stress on offspring remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of chronic late gestational stress on physiological outcomes in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.
  • To examine the effects of PNS on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cardiovascular function, cognitive function, respiratory control, gastrointestinal function, and gut microbiota.

Main Methods:

  • Pregnant rats were subjected to repeated restraint stress during late gestation (embryonic day 14-20).
  • Male offspring were assessed at 4 months of age for physiological and behavioral outcomes.
  • Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene 454 pyrosequencing.

Main Results:

  • PNS offspring exhibited exaggerated HPA axis responses, elevated blood pressure, and impaired cognitive function.
  • Altered respiratory control, including increased respiratory frequency variability and abnormal responses to hypoxia/hypercapnia, was observed.
  • PNS led to decreased distal colon innervation, increased colonic secretory response, and significant alterations in gut microbiota composition, with specific changes in Lactobacillus, Oscillibacter, Anaerotruncus, and Peptococcus genera.
  • Gut microbiota composition correlated with respiratory parameters and HPA axis responsiveness.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal stress induces long-lasting maladaptive alterations in the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems in adult male rats.
  • PNS is associated with hyper-responsiveness to stress and significant changes in gut microbiota composition.
  • These findings highlight the critical role of the prenatal environment in shaping long-term physiological health and stress resilience.

Keywords:
Gut microbiotaHPA axisIntestinal innervationMaternal stressRespiratory control

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