PMID- 15932885
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20051005
LR  - 20220317
IS  - 0022-3751 (Print)
IS  - 1469-7793 (Electronic)
IS  - 0022-3751 (Linking)
VI  - 566
IP  - Pt 3
DP  - 2005 Aug 1
TI  - Short periods of prenatal stress affect growth, behaviour and 
      hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in male guinea pig offspring.
PG  - 967-77
AB  - Prenatal stress can have profound long-term influences on physiological function 
      throughout the course of life. We hypothesized that focused periods of moderate 
      prenatal stress at discrete time points in late gestation have differential 
      effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in adult guinea pig 
      offspring, and that changes in HPA axis function will be associated with 
      modification of anxiety-related behaviour. Pregnant guinea pigs were exposed to a 
      strobe light for 2 h on gestational days (GD) 50, 51, 52 (PS50) or 60, 61, 62 
      (PS60) (gestation length approximately 70 days). A control group was left 
      undisturbed throughout pregnancy. Behaviour was assessed in male offspring on 
      postnatal day (PND)25 and PND70 by measurement of ambulatory activity and 
      thigmotaxis (wall-seeking behaviour) in a novel open field environment. 
      Subsequent to behavioural testing, male offspring were cannulated (PND75) to 
      evaluate basal and activated HPA axis function. Body weight was significantly 
      decreased in adult PS50 and PS60 offspring and this effect was apparent soon 
      after weaning. The brain-to-body-weight ratio was significantly increased in 
      adult PS50 males. Basal plasma cortisol levels were elevated in PS50 male 
      offspring throughout the 24 h sampling period compared with controls. In response 
      to an ACTH challenge and to exposure to an acute stressor, PS60 male offspring 
      exhibited elevated plasma cortisol responses. Plasma testosterone concentrations 
      were strikingly decreased in PS50 offspring. Thigmotaxis in the novel environment 
      was increased in PS50 male offspring at PND25 and PND70, suggesting increased 
      anxiety in these animals. In conclusion, prenatal stress during critical windows 
      of neuroendocrine development programs growth, HPA axis function, and 
      stress-related behaviour in adult male guinea pig offspring. Further, the nature 
      of the effect is dependant on the timing of the maternal stress during pregnancy.
FAU - Kapoor, Amita
AU  - Kapoor A
AD  - Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical 
      Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8. Canada.
FAU - Matthews, Stephen G
AU  - Matthews SG
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20050602
PL  - England
TA  - J Physiol
JT  - The Journal of physiology
JID - 0266262
RN  - 0 (Hormones)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - *Behavior, Animal
MH  - Body Weight
MH  - Female
MH  - Guinea Pigs
MH  - Hormones/blood
MH  - Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/*embryology/growth & 
      development/*physiopathology/radiation effects
MH  - Light/adverse effects
MH  - Male
MH  - Organ Size
MH  - Pituitary-Adrenal System/*embryology/growth & 
      development/*physiopathology/radiation effects
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - *Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
MH  - Stress, Physiological/*embryology/etiology/*physiopathology
PMC - PMC1464791
EDAT- 2005/06/04 09:00
MHDA- 2005/10/06 09:00
PMCR- 2006/08/01
CRDT- 2005/06/04 09:00
PHST- 2005/06/04 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/10/06 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/06/04 09:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2006/08/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - jphysiol.2005.090191 [pii]
AID - 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.090191 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Physiol. 2005 Aug 1;566(Pt 3):967-77. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.090191. Epub 
      2005 Jun 2.