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Disruption of behavior and brain metabolism in artificially reared rats
Author(s) -
AguirreBenítez Elsa L.,
Porras Mercedes G.,
Parra Leticia,
GonzálezRíos Jacquelina,
GarduñoTorres Dafne F.,
AlboresGarcía Damaris,
Avendaño Arturo,
ÁvilaRodríguez Miguel A.,
Melo Angel I.,
JiménezEstrada Ismael,
MendozaGarrido Ma. Eugenia,
Toriz César,
Diaz Daniel,
IbarraCoronado Elizabeth,
MendozaÁngeles Karina,
HernándezFalcón Jesús
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
developmental neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.716
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1932-846X
pISSN - 1932-8451
DOI - 10.1002/dneu.22548
Subject(s) - licking , amygdala , somatosensory system , biology , sensory stimulation therapy , stimulation , neuroscience , hippocampal formation , endocrinology , cortex (anatomy) , medicine , physiology , psychology
Early adverse life stress has been associated to behavioral disorders that can manifest as inappropriate or aggressive responses to social challenges. In this study, we analyzed the effects of artificial rearing on the open field and burial behavioral tests and on GFAP, c‐Fos immunoreactivity, and glucose metabolism measured in anxiety‐related brain areas. Artificial rearing of male rats was performed by supplying artificial milk through a cheek cannula and tactile stimulation, mimicking the mother's licking to rat pups from the fourth postnatal day until weaning. Tactile stimulation was applied twice a day, at morning and at night, by means of a camel brush on the rat anogenital area. As compared to mother reared rats, greater aggressiveness, and boldness, stereotyped behavior (burial conduct) was observed in artificially reared rats which occurred in parallel to a reduction of GFAP immunoreactivity in somatosensory cortex, c‐Fos immunoreactivity at the amygdala and primary somatosensory cortex, and lower metabolism in amygdala (as measured by 2‐deoxi‐2‐[ 18 fluoro]‐ d ‐glucose uptake, assessed by microPET imaging). These results could suggest that tactile and/or chemical stimuli from the mother and littermates carry relevant information for the proper development of the central nervous system, particularly in brain areas involved with emotions and social relationships of the rat. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1413–1429, 2017