TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of prenatal stress on vulnerability to stress in prepubertal and adult rats
AU - Fride, Ester
AU - Dan, Yael
AU - Feldon, Joram
AU - Halevy, Galit
AU - Weinstock, Marta
PY - 1986
Y1 - 1986
N2 - This study investigated the hypotheses that unpredictable prenatal stress (1) has effects on the offspring, similar to those induced by perinatal administration of glucocorticoids and (2) increases the vulnerability to stressful situations at adulthood. Rats were exposed to random noise and light stress throughout pregnancy. Offspring were tested for the development of spontaneous alternation behavior (SA) and at adulthood, their response to novel or aversive situations, open field, extinction and punishment following acquisition of an appetitive response and two-way active avoidance, were assessed. In prenatally stressed rats, the development of SA was significantly delayed. On repeated exposure to an open field they were less active; control rats had elevated plasma corticosterone (CCS) on days 2 and 4 of open field exposure, while prenatally stressed rats had significantly raised plasma CCS after each exposure (days 1-8). Furthermore, punishment-induced suppression of an appetitive response was enhanced. Acquisition of active avoidance was faciliated in female but reduced in male prenatally stressed offspring. It is suggested that random prenatal noise and light stress may cause impairment of development of hippocampal function which lasts into adulthood. This impairment is manifested as an increase in vulnerability and a decrease in habituation to stressful stimuli.
AB - This study investigated the hypotheses that unpredictable prenatal stress (1) has effects on the offspring, similar to those induced by perinatal administration of glucocorticoids and (2) increases the vulnerability to stressful situations at adulthood. Rats were exposed to random noise and light stress throughout pregnancy. Offspring were tested for the development of spontaneous alternation behavior (SA) and at adulthood, their response to novel or aversive situations, open field, extinction and punishment following acquisition of an appetitive response and two-way active avoidance, were assessed. In prenatally stressed rats, the development of SA was significantly delayed. On repeated exposure to an open field they were less active; control rats had elevated plasma corticosterone (CCS) on days 2 and 4 of open field exposure, while prenatally stressed rats had significantly raised plasma CCS after each exposure (days 1-8). Furthermore, punishment-induced suppression of an appetitive response was enhanced. Acquisition of active avoidance was faciliated in female but reduced in male prenatally stressed offspring. It is suggested that random prenatal noise and light stress may cause impairment of development of hippocampal function which lasts into adulthood. This impairment is manifested as an increase in vulnerability and a decrease in habituation to stressful stimuli.
KW - Hippocampal development
KW - Prenatal stress
KW - Stress-induced corticosterone levels
KW - Vulnerability to stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022473428&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0031-9384(86)90172-1
DO - 10.1016/0031-9384(86)90172-1
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C2 - 3774900
AN - SCOPUS:0022473428
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 37
SP - 681
EP - 687
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 5
ER -