Multiparity dampened the behavioral consequences of mother-pup separation stress in dams

SUAREZ M; RIVAROLA MA; AGUGGIA J

NEUROSCIENCE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 vol. 416 p. 207 - 220

0306-4522

Reproductive experience in mammals produces significant neuroendocrine and behavioral changes thatare necessary to ensure the survival of the mother and the young. Exposure to stress during postpartum may affectthe proper development of maternal behaviors. The present study examined whether previous reproductive experience affects neurobehavioral responses in females exposed to mother?infant separation stress during the postpartum period (4.5 h/day for 3 weeks). Anxiety-like behavior and spatial learning were evaluated in nulliparous (NP),primiparous (PRI) and multiparous (MULT). In maternal animals (PRI and MULT), maternal behavior was alsoassessed. Cell survival and proliferation in the dentate gyrus, as well as BDNF expression in the hippocampus, wereevaluated by immunohistochemistry as possible candidates for mediating brain plasticity in response to reproductiveexperience and stress. Anxiety-like behavior as measured on the open field test showed an increase in NP and PRIstressed, while neither stressed nor unstressed MULT expressed this behavior. Maternal unstressed animals bothPRI and MULT exhibited enhanced memory task performance in the Barnes maze. Multiparity increased cell proliferation and cell survival in female rats and these changes occurred independently of pup exposure. The expression ofBDNF was higher in the CA1 area in MULT rats. Although multiparity protects the mother against some of the effectsof maternal separation stress, promoting behaviors directed to the pups during the early postpartum, preventinganxiety-like behaviors and mitigating memory deterioration after weaning, the data showed that disrupting naturaldam?pup interaction produced neurobiological consequences on the mother even with multiple reproductive experience.