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Prenatal Stimulation of 5-HT1A Receptors Improves Adaptive Behavior in Prenatally Stressed Rats

V A Mikhailenko1, I P Butkevich2,3

  • 1Laboratory of Ontogeny of the Nervous System, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia. viktormikhailenko@yandex.ru.

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine
|January 19, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal stress negatively impacts offspring behavior, increasing pain and anxiety. However, maternal treatment with serotonin receptor drugs like fluoxetine and buspirone can mitigate these harmful effects, improving adaptive behaviors in young rats.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Prenatal stress is a significant risk factor for adverse behavioral outcomes in offspring.
  • Serotonin (5-HT) pathways play a crucial role in regulating mood, pain, and anxiety.
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and 5-HT1A receptor agonists are commonly used to treat mood and anxiety disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of prenatal stress on adaptive behaviors in prepubertal rats.
  • To evaluate the therapeutic potential of fluoxetine and buspirone, alone and in combination, administered to pregnant rats on offspring behavior.
  • To determine if maternal administration of 5-HT1A-targeting drugs can counteract stress-induced behavioral deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Pregnant rats were administered fluoxetine, buspirone, or their combination from gestation day 9.
  • Immobilization stress was applied during the last phase of pregnancy (gestation day 15 until delivery).
  • Offspring behavior, including pain sensitivity, inflammatory pain response, anxiety, and depression, was assessed during the prepubertal period.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal stress significantly increased offspring pain sensitivity, prolonged inflammatory pain, and elevated anxiety and depression levels.
  • Maternal treatment with fluoxetine and/or buspirone improved the studied behavioral parameters in offspring exposed to prenatal stress.
  • The combination therapy showed distinct effects on pain sensitivity compared to individual drugs and on depression levels compared to fluoxetine alone.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal administration of 5-HT1A receptor-acting drugs can effectively ameliorate the negative behavioral consequences of prenatal stress in offspring.
  • Combined therapy with fluoxetine and buspirone may offer synergistic benefits in managing stress-induced behavioral alterations.
  • These findings highlight the importance of the maternal serotonergic system in mediating the effects of prenatal stress on offspring neurodevelopment and behavior.

Keywords:
adaptive Behaviorcombination of fluoxetine and buspironegestationmale offspring

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