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

SUAREZ M; RIVAROLA MA; AGUGGIA J

Congreso; 1th International Conference Perinatal Origins of Neuropsychiatric Disorders: from Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Perspectives; 2019

Reproductive experience in mammals produces significantneuroendocrine and behavioral changes that are necessary to ensure the survival of the mother and the young. Exposure to stress during postpartum may affect the proper development of maternal behaviors. The present study examined whether previous reproductive experience affects neurobehavioral responses in females exposed to mother-infant separationstress during the postpartum period (4.5h/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 also assessed. Cell survival and proliferation in the dentate gyrus, as well as BDNF expression in the hippocampus, were evaluated by immunohistochemistry as possible candidates for mediating brain plasticity in response to reproductive experience and stress. Anxiety-like behavior as measured on the open field test showed an increase in NP and PRI-stressed, while neither stressed nor unstressed MULT expressed this behavior. Maternal unstressed animals both PRI and MULT exhibited enhanced memory task performance inthe Barnes maze. Multiparity increased cell proliferation and cell survival in female rats and these changes occurred independently of pup exposure. The expression of BDNF was higher in the CA1 area in MULT rats. Multiparity protects the mother against the effects of maternal separation stress, promoting behaviors directed to the pups during theearly postpartum and preventing anxiety-like behaviors and memory deterioration after weaning. The data show that multiparity mitigated the consequences of disrupting natural dam-pup interaction