Cited by 55Stress Responses and CortisolMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumBirth, Development, and Health

Pre-gestational stress reduces the ratio of 5-HIAA to 5-HT and the expression of 5-HT1A receptor and serotonin transporter in the brain of foetal rat

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Huang, Yuejun, Xu, Hongwu, Li, Hui, Yang, Hanhua, Chen, Yunbin, Shi, Xuechuan·2012·BMC Neuroscience

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many studies have found that stress before or during pregnancy is linked to an increased incidence of behavioural disorders in offspring. However, few studies have investigated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and the serotonergic system as a consequence of pregestational stress. In the present study, we investigated the effect of pre-gestational stress on HPA axis activity in maternal rats and their foetuses and examined whether changes in HPA axis activity of maternal rats produced functional changes in the serotonergic system in the brain of foetuses. RESULTS: We used the behavioural tests to assess the model of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) in maternal rats. We found the activity in the open field and sucrose consumption was lower for rats with CUS than for the controls. Body weight but not brain weight was higher for control foetuses than those from the CUS group. Serum corticosterone and corticotrophin-releasing hormone levels were significantly higher for mothers with CUS before pregnancy and their foetuses than for the controls. Levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were higher in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of foetuses in the CUS group than in the controls, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were lower in the hippocampus in foetuses in the CUS group than in the control group. Levels of 5-HIAA in the hypothalamus did not differ between foetuses in the CUS group and in the control group. The ratio of 5-HIAA to 5-HT was significantly lower for foetuses in the CUS group than in the control group. Levels of 5-HT1A receptor were significantly lower in the foetal hippocampus in the CUS group than in the control group, with no significant difference in the hypothalamus. The levels of serotonin transporter (SERT) were lower in both the foetal hippocampus and foetal hypothalamus in the CUS group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that pre-gestational stress alters HPA axis activity in maternal rats and their foetuses, which is associated with functional changes in 5-HT activity (5-HT, 5-HIAA and ratio of 5-HIAA to 5-HT), as well as the levels of the 5-HT1A receptor and SERT in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of foetuses.

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  • Pre-gestational and early-life stress with HPA activation is linked to an altered serotonergic system, leading to interruptions in brain development and cognition.

    “Pre-gestational and early-life stress, with activation of the HPA axis, have been linked with an altered serotonergic system, leading to interruptions in brain development and cognition (218–220).”

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  1. Dremencov E Gur E Lerer B Newman ME Effects of chronic antidepressants and electroconvulsive shock on serotonergic neurotransmission in the rat hypothalamus Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2002 26 6 1029 1034 10.1016/S0278-5846(02)00227-0 12452522 · DOI

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Authors
Huang, Y., Xu, H., Li, H., Yang, H., Chen, Y., & Shi, X.
Affiliations
  • Shantou University (CN)
  • Guangdong Province Women and Children Hospital (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Chen, Yunbin
  • Shi, Xuechuan
Venue
BMC Neuroscience
Published
2012-02-28
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
22-22
ISSN
1471-2202 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2048234240
Cited by
55
References
58
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
FWCI
1.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • BMC Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (31140016)
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 › Birth, Development, and Health
Keywords
chronic unpredictable mild stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, serotonergic system, 5-HT1A receptor, serotonin transporter, fetal brain, hippocampus, hypothalamus, corticosterone, corticotropin-releasing factor, maternal stress, rat model, sucrose intake, open field
MeSH terms
Analysis of Variance, Animals, Body Weight, Brain, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Corticosterone, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Embryo, Mammalian, Female, Food Preferences, Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid, Male, Maternal Behavior, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Serotonin, Time Factors, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins, Rats

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