CEFYBO   02669
CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS FARMACOLOGICOS Y BOTANICOS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Prenatal stress increases plasma corticosterone and hippocampal Nitric Oxide Synthase expression in rat´s offspring;
Autor/es:
DAMIAN G MAUR; BERENISSE BOURDET; ANA MARÍA GENARO; MARÍA A ZORRILLA ZUBILETE
Lugar:
Huerta Grande, Córdoba
Reunión:
Congreso; II Reunión Conjunta de Neurociencias; 2010
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias (SAN) y Taller de Neurociencias
Resumen:
Stress
during early stages of development induces long lasting neurochemical and
neuroendocrine alterations that in turn develop into behavioural deficits. We
have already established that prenatal stress (PS) induces a deficit in spatial
and associative memory and alterations in anxiety-like behaviour, together with
a reduction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in adulthood. The aim of
the present study was to determine if PS has an effect on plasma corticosterone
levels and in hippocampal NOS expression.
Methods:
Pregnant Wistar rats were restrained three times a day, 45 minutes each, during
the last week of pregnancy. Offspring was sacrificed at postnatal day 7 (PN 7)
and analyzed for hippocampal NOS mRNA by RT-PCR and for plasma corticosterone
levels by ELISA. Results: nNOS mRNA levels were increased by PS. We also found
an increased level of plasma corticosterone. Discussion: It has already been
shown that different models of PS induce alterations in the HPA axis that in
turn develop into behavioural alterations. We have found behavioural
abnormalities in PS rats, together with alterations in nitric oxide synthase
expression and activity, both in cerebellum and hippocampus. In this study we
show that this modifications appear as early as PN 7. Indeed, plasma
corticosterone and hippocampal nNOS mRNA levels were increased in PS rats. We
are currently evaluating a possible correlation between these parameters, in
order to establish its relationship with the behavioural abnormalities
observed.