Prenatal stress and subsequent exposure to chronic mild stress in rats; interdependent effects on emotional behavior and the serotonergic system

Genetic and early environmental influences on the serotonin system: consequences for brain development and risk for psychopathology

“…While the studies discussed show how genetic disruptions in specific 5-HT genes can influence brain development, a number of studies have shown persistent alterations in the 5-HT system, including lower 5-HT innervation, receptor function, protein and enzyme expression, synaptic density and metabolite levels, following in utero or early postnatal exposure to experimentally induced stress 95,96 and/or substances of abuse, such as nicotine or alcohol (see the studies by Parker and colleagues, 97 Sliwowska and colleagues, 98 Slotkin and colleagues 99 and Williams and colleagues 100 ). Some of these effects appear to be sex-specific.…”

“…Some of these effects appear to be sex-specific. 96,98,99 Studies in mice demonstrate a clear sex effect for the behavioural and physiologic effects of prenatal stress exposure. Male mice exposed to prenatal stress exhibited an increased sensitivity to a low dose of SSRIs.…”

In utero programming alters adult response to chronic mild stress: Part 3 of a longitudinal study

“…Further, CMS exposure is known to decrease weight gain in both male and female rodents (for review see Willner, 1997Willner, , 2005. Van den Hove et al (2014) reported that GS increased depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test only in males, and that being exposed to both GS and CMS increased sucrose preference in males while decreasing it in females ( Van den Hove et al, 2014). Anxiety-like behavior was significantly increased after GS in both sexes but appeared to normalize with subsequent exposure to CMS ( Van den Hove et al, 2014).…”

“…Van den Hove et al (2014) reported that GS increased depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test only in males, and that being exposed to both GS and CMS increased sucrose preference in males while decreasing it in females ( Van den Hove et al, 2014). Anxiety-like behavior was significantly increased after GS in both sexes but appeared to normalize with subsequent exposure to CMS ( Van den Hove et al, 2014). To summarize, in Sprague-Dawley rats the mismatch hypothesis seems to have the best fit in considering anxiety-like responses in both sexes.…”

Sex-Dependent Effects of Prenatal Stress on Learned Helplessness and Anxiety-Related Behaviours in Wistar Rats

“…Thus, the reduced reactivity to painful shocks we found, in prenatally stressed males, was not due to a lower sensitivity to shocks, but probably it was governed by other patterns of emotional behaviour, which could reflect differences in the activation threshold of some brain structures [32] [33]. On the other hand, SERT was effective in reversing these effects of the PS, possibly, by regulating the autonomic functions [34].…”