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Cuscuta epithymum extract affects epileptic offspring behaviour and weight after applying preconception immobility
Narjes Khavasi1, Leila Ghassemifard1, Hajar Ramezanikhah2
1Department of Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Insights
Parental stress before pregnancy can negatively impact offspring, increasing seizure risk and reducing body weight. Cuscuta epithymum (CE) extract administration to stressed parents significantly improved these adverse effects in their pups.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Prenatal stress exposure is linked to altered stress reactivity in offspring.
- Investigating the impact of maternal and paternal stress on offspring neurodevelopment is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of Cuscuta epithymum (CE) extract on seizure susceptibility and body weight in offspring of pre-conceptional stressed rats.
- To determine if CE extract can mitigate the negative consequences of parental stress on offspring.
Main Methods:
- Rats were subjected to restraint stress and/or treated with CE extract before mating.
- Offspring were weighed on postnatal days 1, 15, and 25.
- Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure threshold was assessed in pups on postnatal day 25.
Main Results:
- Parental stress significantly increased seizure duration, number, and severity, and accelerated seizure onset in offspring.
- Offspring of stressed parents exhibited significantly lower body weight.
- CE extract administration notably ameliorated stress-induced seizure behaviors and normalized body weight in offspring.
Conclusions:
- CE extract shows potential therapeutic benefits in counteracting the detrimental effects of pre-pregnancy stress on offspring.
- CE administration may be a viable strategy to improve seizure outcomes and growth in offspring exposed to parental stress.
Introduction:
Studies have indicated a link between stress during pregnancy and stress reactivity in offspring. In this study, we investigated the effect of Cuscuta epithymum (CE) extract on seizure and body weight in offspring born to stressed parents (pre-pregnancy).
Methods:
Male and female rats were randomly separated into four groups. Then, the animals were subjected to restraint stress once a day for 50 (male) and 15 (female) continuous days. At the same time, rats in the control and stress groups received normal saline while the other two groups received the CE extract. After the stress induction, the control and experimental rats were mated to create eight types of coupling combinations as follows: McFc, McFs, MsFc, MsFs, McFc + EX, McFs + EX, MsFc + EX and MsFs + EX (M, male; F, female; C, control; S, stress; EX, extract). Then, the pups were weighed on postnatal days (PND) 1, 15 and 25. They were also evaluated for pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure on PND 25.
Results:
The results showed that prolonged parental exposure to stress led to a significant increase in the duration and number of tonic-clonic (TC) seizures, duration of standing on two legs, firmly clinging to the ground, number of head nodding, total score of seizure behaviours and duration of tail rigidity in offspring. Moreover, the onset of the first convulsive behaviour was accelerated. Furthermore, a significantly lower body weight was observed in pre-conceptionally stressed offspring. However, the CE extract significantly improved these symptoms.
Conclusion:
It can be concluded that CE administration possibly improves the consequences of pre-pregnancy stress, as well as seizure behaviours and weight loss in pups.
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