Cited by 153Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Early-life stress affects the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex in adolescent rats

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Chocyk, Agnieszka, Bobula, Bartosz, Dudys, Dorota, Przyborowska, Aleksandra, Majcher-Maślanka, Iwona, Hess, Grzegorz, Wędzony, Krzysztof·2013·European Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Early life experiences are crucial factors that shape brain development and function due to their ability to induce structural and functional plasticity. Among these experiences, early-life stress (ELS) is known to interfere with brain development and maturation, increasing the risk of future psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Moreover, ELS may contribute to the emergence of these psychopathologies during adolescence. In this present study, we investigated the effects of ELS, in the form of maternal separation (MS), on the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male rats. We found that the MS procedure resulted in disturbances in mother-pup interactions that lasted until weaning and were most strongly demonstrated by increases in nursing behavior. Moreover, MS caused atrophy of the basal dendritic tree and reduced spine density on both the apical and basal dendrites in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of the mPFC. The structural changes were accompanied by an impairment of long-term potentiation processes and increased expression of key proteins, specifically glutamate receptor 1, glutamate receptor 2, postsynaptic density protein 95, αCa(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and αCa(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylated at residue Thr305, that are engaged in long-term potentiation induction and maintenance in the mPFC. We also found that the MS animals were more anxious in the light/dark exploration test. The results of this study indicate that ELS has a significant impact on the structural and functional plasticity of the mPFC in adolescents. ELS-induced adaptive plasticity may underlie the pathomechanisms of some early-onset psychopathologies observed in adolescents.

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Crossref · 10.1111/ejn.12208

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Authors
Chocyk, A., Bobula, B., Dudys, D., Przyborowska, A., Majcher-Maślanka, I., Hess, G., & Wędzony, K.
Affiliations
  • Maj Institute of Pharmacology (PL)
  • Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure; Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences; Krakow; Poland
Corresponding author
Chocyk, Agnieszka
Venue
European Journal of Neuroscience
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2013-04-15
Volume
38
Issue
1
Pages
2089-2107
ISSN
0953-816X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2171217262
Cited by
153
References
127
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2
FWCI
5.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • European Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Jagiellonian University Repository (Jagiellonian University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
early life stress, maternal separation, medial prefrontal cortex, dendritic atrophy, dendritic spine density, long-term potentiation, synaptic plasticity, anxiety-like behavior, adolescent rats, mother-pup interaction, glutamate receptors, PSD-95, CaMKII
MeSH terms
Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein, Age Factors, Animals, Exploratory Behavior, Male, Maternal Behavior, Maternal Deprivation, Membrane Proteins, Stress, Psychological, Rats, Wistar, Prefrontal Cortex, Long-Term Potentiation, Pyramidal Cells, Receptors, AMPA, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Dendritic Spines, Rats, Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2

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