Maternal stress induces synaptic loss and developmental disabilities of offspring
Open accessAbstract
Mild prenatal stress affects the serotonergic system in the hippocampus of rat offspring. Pregnant rats were daily exposed to mild stress treatments (consisting of crowding and saline injection) during days 15 to 21 of pregnancy. Their offspring were assessed by a series of biochemical, histological and behavioral tests. On 35 days after birth, 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) level was decreased by 17% (P< 0.05), whereas 5‐hydroxyindolacetic acid (5‐HIAA) level was increased by 18% (P< 0.05) in the offspring of prenatally stressed rats. The metabolic rate (5‐HIAA/5‐HT) was increased by 49% (P< 0.01). Synaptic density in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed offspring was also decreased by 32% (P< 0.0001) on postnatal day 35. There was no significant group difference in the spatial learning acquisition test of the Morris water maze ; however, in the reversal task, prenatally stressed 5‐week old rats spent more time than control animals searching for the platform of the pool. Escape latency in the cued test showed no significant difference. Together with data in our previous studies, that have shown 5‐HT to facilitate synapse formation and maintenance in the central nervous system, synaptic loss is suggested to occur in relation to changes of 5‐HT system in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed offspring. This may be associated with reported changes in behavior and learning ability in prenatally stressed offspring.
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Animal models show brain morphology changes in offspring of mothers exposed to prenatal stress.
“In animal models, changes in brain morphology have been observed in offspring of mothers exposed to prenatal stress.”
From High pregnancy anxiety during mid-gestation is associated with decreased gray matter density in 6-9-year-old children. (2010) · cites this paper as Hayashi et al., 1998
Rodent evidence indicates prenatal stress alters rat hippocampal cytoarchitecture.
“Several lines of evidence from studies in rodents indicate that the cytoarchitecture of the rat hippocampus is altered as a consequence of prenatal stress (Hayashi et al., 1998; Gould & Tanapat, 1999; Lemaire et al., 2000).”
From High pregnancy anxiety during mid-gestation is associated with decreased gray matter density in 6-9-year-old children. (2010) · cites this paper as Hayashi et al., 1998
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- Authors
- Hayashi, A., Nagaoka, M., Yamada, K., Ichitani, Y., Miake, Y., & Okado, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Tsukuba (JP)
- Nihon University (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Okado, Nobuo
- Venue
- International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-06
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 209-216
- ISSN
- 0736-5748 (ISSN-L)
- 1873-474X
- OpenAlex
- W1975855035
- Cited by
- 241
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 2.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan (07279101, 09480210)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Keywords
- prenatal stress, maternal stress, synaptic loss, hippocampus, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, developmental disabilities, spatial learning, Morris water maze, crowding stress, rat offspring
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Behavior, Animal, Developmental Disabilities, Female, Hippocampus, Osmolar Concentration, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnancy, Animal, Stress, Physiological, Synapses, Biogenic Monoamines, Rats, Wistar, Rats
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