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Maternal social stress disrupts reproduction of hamsters drinking high-calorie fluids
Adding maternal social stress, induced by housing in pairs, to maternal consumption of high-calorie fluids adversely affected hamster reproduction. Pregnancy outcomes of 67 dams housed either alone or in pairs, and given either water (WAT), or isocaloric solutions of either 30% ethanol (ETH), sucrose (SUC) or propylene glycol (PG), were compared. Pups of unpaired dams drinking any high-calorie fluid weighed less than those drinking water, but no other deficits were found. Among paired dams, those designated submissive on the basis of agonistic behavior and drinking either SUC, ETH, or PG, had fewer viable pups and more fetal resorptions and stillborn pups than WAT dams. Also, dominant PG dams delivered few pups and both dominant and submissive PG dams delivered malformed pups or embryos. Whether paired or unpaired, litters of SUC and ETH dams were similar. Drinking any high-calorie fluid reduced maternal food and fluid intake and weight gains below that of water, but pairing had no additional effect on dams.
Adding maternal social stress, induced by housing in pairs, to maternal consumption of high-calorie fluids adversely affected hamster reproduction. Pregnancy outcomes of 67 dams housed either alone or in pairs, and given either water (WAT), or isocaloric solutions of either 30% ethanol (ETH), sucrose (SUC) or propylene glycol (PG), were compared. Pups of unpaired dams drinking any high-calorie fluid weighed less than those drinking water, but no other deficits were found. Among paired dams, those designated submissive on the basis of agonistic behavior and drinking either SUC, ETH, or PG, had fewer viable pups and more fetal resorptions and stillborn pups than WAT dams. Also, dominant PG dams delivered few pups and both dominant and submissive PG dams delivered malformed pups or embryos. Whether paired or unpaired, litters of SUC and ETH dams were similar. Drinking any high-calorie fluid reduced maternal food and fluid intake and weight gains below that of water, but pairing had no additional effect on dams.