Prenatal corticosterone exposure programs sex-specific adrenal adaptations in mouse offspring
J S M Cuffe1,2, E L Turton1, L K Akison1
1School of Biomedical ScienceThe University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
The Journal of Endocrinology
|October 19, 2016
Summary
Maternal stress during pregnancy, via corticosterone (Cort), programs male offspring for adrenal dysfunction and later disease. Female offspring were unaffected, showing sex-specific programming of health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Reproductive Science
Background:
- Maternal stress impacts fetal development and disease risk in offspring.
- Glucocorticoids, like corticosterone (Cort), mediate these effects, leading to sex-specific outcomes.
- Prenatal Cort exposure in mice has been linked to cardiovascular and renal dysfunction in adult males.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal corticosterone exposure on adrenal gland function in male and female offspring.
- To determine if altered adrenal function precedes the development of disease in male offspring.
- To examine age- and sex-specific changes in adrenal morphology, steroidogenesis, and plasma corticosterone levels.
Main Methods:
- Mice were exposed to corticosterone (Cort) during gestation.
- Adrenal gland volume, weight, and morphology were assessed at postnatal day 30, 6 months, and 12 months.
- Plasma corticosterone and aldosterone concentrations were measured.
- mRNA expression of key steroidogenic genes (Mc2r, Cyp11a1) was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Prenatal Cort exposure reduced adrenal volume in males at postnatal day 30 but increased adrenal weight at 6 months.
- Male offspring exhibited increased plasma aldosterone at 6 months and reduced adrenal weight with plaque deposition at 12 months.
- Adrenal gene expression showed sex- and age-specific alterations, with no significant changes observed in females.
- Plasma corticosterone levels were elevated in 6-month-old males.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal corticosterone exposure induces long-lasting, sex-specific adrenal gland dysfunction in male offspring.
- This dysfunction, characterized by altered adrenal growth and steroidogenic capacity, may contribute to programmed disease susceptibility.
- The findings highlight the critical role of the prenatal environment in shaping offspring health and disease risk.
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