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Prenatal stress attenuates ulceration in the activity stress paradigm
K G Lambert1, C H Kinsley, H E Jones
1Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA.
Insights
Prenatal stress in rats reduced their response to later stress, showing fewer ulcers and less activity. This suggests prenatal stress impacts emotionality and stress reactivity, with notable sex differences observed in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Prenatal stress is a known factor influencing offspring development and behavior.
- Understanding the long-term effects of prenatal stress is crucial for developmental neuroscience.
- Activity levels and stress responses are key indicators of emotionality and adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prenatal stress on the behavioral and physiological responses of rat offspring to subsequent stress.
- To examine sex differences in the effects of prenatal stress and activity stress.
- To evaluate the validity of activity as a measure of emotionality in prenatally stressed animals.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant rats were exposed to light-restraint stress during late gestation.
- Offspring (male and female) were subjected to an activity stress (AS) paradigm at approximately 50 days of age.
- Ulceration and activity levels were measured during habituation and stress phases; adrenal weights were also assessed.
Main Results:
- Prenatally stressed (PS) rats exhibited significantly less ulceration compared to control rats under activity stress.
- PS rats displayed reduced baseline activity during the habituation phase of the AS paradigm.
- Females showed higher activity levels, heavier relative adrenal weights, and reached sacrifice criteria faster than males.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal stress exposure alters the offspring's response to subsequent stressors, potentially by reducing emotionality or stress reactivity.
- Reduced baseline activity in PS rats raises questions about using activity as a sole measure of emotionality.
- Significant sex differences in activity, adrenal weight, and maturation highlight the complex interplay of prenatal stress and sex on development.
Abstract:
In the present study, 28 pregnant rats were subjected to either light-restraint stress or no manipulation for days 14-21 of the gestational period. At approx. 50 days of age, both male (n = 16) and female (n = 16) prenatally stressed (PS) and control offspring were subjected to the activity stress (AS) paradigm. During this subsequent stress experience, PS rats developed less ulceration than control rats. PS rats also displayed about half the activity of the control animals during the habituation phase of the AS paradigm, prior to the induction of stress. Given this decrease in baseline activity in PS animals, implications of using activity as a measure of emotionality in PS animals are discussed. Several sex differences were also observed; females differed from males in that they 1) exhibited higher activity levels in both the habituation and experimental phases of the AS procedure, 2) developed heavier relative adrenal weights, and 3) reached criteria for sacrifice in fewer days.