Maternal-induced shifts in allostatic demands: Reproductive experience alters emotional and cognitive biobehavioral responses in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Sullivan, Emily D. K.; Kent, Molly; Thompson, Barbara; Bardi, Massimo; Lambert, Kelly G.

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2019.01.048

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Also related to the stress response, the finding of increased GR-IR in the LHb of the LR animals (see Figures 11A,C for GR results) suggests that they developed heightened stress-mediated inhibitory effects, in accordance with past research documenting stress-induced modification of GR levels in limbic areas such as the hippocampus (Ga ¸dek- Michalska et al, 2013;Sullivan et al, 2019). The LHb is associated with depressive symptoms, especially related to the inhibition of reward processing (as reviewed by Webster et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Cognition was assessed using the DLM, a cognitive preclinical assessment task that utilizes positive incentives for memory training to assess foraging efficiency (Kinsley et al, 1999;Kent et al, 2018;Sullivan et al, 2019). Importantly, flexible cognition is observed during the probe trial when a prediction error is introduced (i.e., the expected food reward is no longer in the consistently rewarded location).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes

Kent

Jacob

Bowen

et al. 2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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When a maternal rat nurtures her pups, she relies on adequate resources to provide optimal care for her offspring. Accordingly, limited environmental resources may result in atypical maternal care, disrupting various developmental outcomes. In the current study, maternal Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to either a standard resource (SR) group, provided with four cups of bedding and two paper towels for nesting material or a limited resource (LR) group, provided with a quarter of the bedding and nesting material provided for the SR group. Offspring were monitored at various developmental phases throughout the study. After weaning, pups were housed in same-sex dyads in environments with SRs for continued observations. Subsequent behavioral tests revealed a sex × resource interaction in play behavior on PND 28; specifically, LR reduced play attacks in males while LR increased play attacks in females. A sex × resource interaction was also observed in anxiety-related responses in the open field task with an increase in thigmotaxis in LR females and, in the social interaction task, females exhibited more external rears oriented away from the social target. Focusing on morphological variables, tail length measurements of LR males and females were shorter on PND 9, 16, and 21; however, differences in tail length were no longer present at PND 35. Following the behavioral assessments, animals were perfused at 56 days of age and subsequent immunohistochemical assays indicated increased glucocorticoid receptors in the lateral habenula of LR offspring and higher c-Fos immunoreactivity in the basolateral amygdala of SR offspring. Further, when tail vertebrae and tail tendons were assessed via micro-CT and hydroxyproline assays, results indicated increased trabecular separation, decreased bone volume fraction, and decreased connectivity density in bones, along with reduced collagen concentration in tendons in the LR animals. In sum, although the restricted resources only persisted for a brief duration, the effects appear to be far-reaching and pervasive in this early life stress animal model.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes

Kent

Jacob

Bowen

et al. 2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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“…A single sample was repeated across plates to measure inter-assay variation (2.2% coefficient of variation). The cross-reactivities of corticosterone antibodies are reported in detail in previous studies [ 37 ]. Sample concentrations were multiplied by 500 to account for the dilution.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corticosterone Metabolite Concentration Is Not Related to Problem Solving in the Fawn-Footed Mosaic-Tailed Rat Melomys Cervinipes

Rowell

Santymire

Rymer

2021

Animals

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Animals can respond physiologically, such as by adjusting glucocorticoid hormone concentrations, to sudden environmental challenges. These physiological changes can then affect behavioural and cognitive responses. While the relationships between adrenocortical activity and behaviour and cognition are well documented, results are equivocal, suggesting species-specific responses. We investigated whether adrenocortical activity, measured using corticosterone metabolite concentration, was related to problem solving in an Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes). Mosaic-tailed rats live in complex environments that are prone to disturbance, suggesting a potential need to solve novel problems, and have been found to show relationships between physiology and other behaviours. We measured problem solving using five food-baited puzzles (matchbox and cylinder in the home cage, and activity board with pillars to push, tiles to slide and levers to lift in an open field), and an escape-motivated obstruction task in a light/dark box. Faecal samples were collected from individuals during routine cage cleaning. Adrenocortical activity was evaluated non-invasively by measuring faecal corticosterone metabolites using an enzyme immunoassay, which was biochemically and biologically validated. Despite varying over time, adrenocortical activity was not significantly related to problem solving success or time spent interacting for any task. However, as adrenocortical activity is reflective of multiple physiological processes, including stress and metabolism, future studies should consider how other measures of physiology are also linked to problem solving.

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“…This ratio was altered following reproductive experience. Thus, this endocrine ratio may be particularly relevant for maternal depression (47).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Depression Alters Mothers’ DHEA and DEHA-to-Cortisol Ratio: Implications for Maternal Behavior and Child Outcomes

2020

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Maternal depression is a major public health problem that typically occurs in the period surrounding childbirth. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying maternal depression have been the focus of increasing research and studies pointed to the crucial role of the HPA axis in this disorder. However, most studies focused on cortisol expression and regulation while recent attention has shifted to include the sulfate steroids DHEA and DHEA-S. A community cohort of 1,983 women with no comorbid risk was recruited at birth and depression was assessed periodically across the first postpartum year. At 6 years, 156 families were re-visited: 46 mothers were defined as chronically-depressed and 103 controls reported no depression from birth to six years. Mothers and children were diagnosed by structured psychiatric interviews and mother-child interactions were observed. Maternal diurnal cortisol (CT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were assessed. Depressed mothers had lower levels of DHEA (AUCg), flattened DHEA diurnal variability (AUCi), and smaller DHEA-to-CT Ratio. Regression analysis demonstrated that maternal sensitivity during mother-child interaction was independently predicted by maternal depression, DHEA levels, child CT, and child social withdrawal. Results underscore the need for multi-level understanding of the dynamic interplay between maternal psychopathology, mother-child relationship, and pituitary-adrenal-cortex-to-medulla balance in studying the cross generational transfer of psychiatric vulnerability from depressed mothers to their children.

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Maternal-induced shifts in allostatic demands: Reproductive experience alters emotional and cognitive biobehavioral responses in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Cited by 5 publications

References 36 publications

Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes

Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes

Corticosterone Metabolite Concentration Is Not Related to Problem Solving in the Fawn-Footed Mosaic-Tailed Rat Melomys Cervinipes

Chronic Depression Alters Mothers’ DHEA and DEHA-to-Cortisol Ratio: Implications for Maternal Behavior and Child Outcomes

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