Effects of Environmental Enrichment in Maternally Separated Rats: Age and Sex-Specific Outcomes

Doreste-Mendez, Raura; Rios-Ruiz, Efrain J.; Rivera-Lopez, Leslie; Gutierrez, Alfredo; Torres-Reverón, Annelyn

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00198

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…(2021) 26:8 [37][38][39]. Our study also drew a conclusion that learning and memory ability was closely related to the time of escape latency and the number of crossing the platform in Morris water maze; the frequency of required training and the rate of correct response in Y-maze was redressed after living in an enriched environment.…”

Section: Guan Et Al Environmental Health and Preventive Medicinementioning

confidence: 51%

The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus

Guan

Zhao

et al. 2021

Environ Health Prev Med

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Background Prenatal stress can cause neurobiological and behavioral defects in offspring; environmental factors play a crucial role in regulating the development of brain and behavioral; this study was designed to test and verify whether an enriched environment can repair learning and memory impairment in offspring rats induced by prenatal stress and to explore its mechanism involving the expression of insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) in the hippocampus of the offspring. Methods Rats were selected to establish a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy. Offspring were weaned on 21st day and housed under either standard or an enriched environment. The learning and memory ability were tested using Morris water maze and Y-maze. The expression of IGF-2 and Arc mRNA and protein were respectively measured by using RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results There was an elevation in the plasma corticosterone level of rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy. Maternal stress’s offspring exposed to an enriched environment could decrease their plasma corticosterone level and improve their weight. The offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy exhibited abnormalities in Morris water maze and Y-maze, which were improved in an enriched environment. The expression of IGF-2, Arc mRNA, and protein in offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy was boosted and some relationships existed between these parameters after being exposed enriched environment. Conclusions The learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress can be rectified by the enriched environment, the mechanism of which is related to the decreasing plasma corticosterone and increasing hippocampal IGF-2 and Arc of offspring rats following maternal chronic stress during pregnancy.

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Section: Guan Et Al Environmental Health and Preventive Medicinementioning

confidence: 51%

The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus

Guan

Zhao

et al. 2021

Environ Health Prev Med

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“…EE (for 28 days) in late adolescence after postnatal stress could restore behavioral function at adulthood (O'Mahony et al, 2011). It also enhanced social behavior in rats prenatally exposed to stress (Doreste-Mendez et al, 2019). Dandi et al demonstrated that EE (for 6 weeks) protected against detrimental effects of MS on memory and anxiety at adulthood (Dandi et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been reported that a single episode of prolonged MS is enough to increase both basal and stress-induced levels of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (O'Mahony et al, 2011). MS could induce upregulation of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene expression, downregulation of CRH receptors and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors (Doreste-Mendez et al, 2019). These receptors are involved in the negative feedback of stress response (Anisman et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of short environmental enrichment on early‐life adversity induced cognitive alternations in adolescent rats

Joushi

Esmaeilpour

Masoumi‐Ardakani

et al. 2021

J of Neuroscience Research

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Early-life experiences, including parental care, affect cognitive performance later in life. Being exposed to early-life maternal separation (MS) increases susceptibility to stress-related psychopathology. Previous studies suggest that MS could induce learning and memory impairments. Since enriched environment (EE) provides more opportunities for exploration and social interaction, in the present study we evaluated the effects of a short EE paradigm with a duration of 13 days on cognitive abilities of maternally separated rats (MS; 180 min/day, postnatal day (PND) 1-21) during adolescence in four experimental groups: Control, Control+EE, MS, and MS+EE.Plasma corticosterone (CORT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were also measured in experimental animals. We also studied the induction of longterm potentiation (LTP) in the slices of hippocampal CA1 area. The behavioral and electrophysiological assessments were started at PND 35. MS caused higher basal CORT levels in plasma and impaired spatial learning, memory, and social interaction.LTP induction was also impaired in MS rats and plasma BDNF levels were reduced in these animals. MS also induced more anxiety-like behavior. Short EE reduced plasma CORT levels had the potential to improve locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in MS+EE rats and reversed MS-induced impairments of spatial learning, memory, and social behavior. LTP induction and plasma BDNF levels were also enhanced in MS+EE rats. We concluded that short EE might be considered as a therapeutic strategy for promoting cognition.

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“…EE during adolescence was effective in restoring normal hippocampal-dependent behaviour, AHN and neuronal activation following ELS. A number of studies demonstrate the benefit of EE throughout adolescence for restoring HPA axis function, learning and memory, anxiety, fear, social performance, attention, depressive-like behaviours, amygdala activity and hippocampal LTP following maternal separation or limited nesting and bedding in the early post-natal period [23][24][25][83][84][85] . One recent study investigated the effects of exposure to EE during adolescence, directly following PPS, and found this prevents stress vulnerability and normalises anxiety-like behaviour after adult traumatic stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental enrichment rescues survival and function of adult-born neurons following early life stress

et al. 2020

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Adverse experiences early in life are associated with the development of psychiatric illnesses. The hippocampus is likely to play pivotal role in generating these effects: it undergoes significant development during childhood and is extremely reactive to stress. In rodent models, stress in the prepubertal period impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and behaviours which rely on this process. In normal adult animals, environmental enrichment (EE) is a potent promoter of AHN and hippocampal function. Whether exposure to EE during adolescence can restore normal hippocampal function and AHN following pre-pubertal stress (PPS) is unknown. We investigated EE as a treatment for reduced AHN and hippocampal function following PPS in a rodent model. Stress was administered between post-natal days (PND) 25-27, EE from PND35 to early adulthood, when behavioural testing and assessment of AHN took place. PPS enhanced fear reactions to a CS following a trace fear protocol and reduced the survival of 4-week-old adult-born neurons throughout the adult hippocampus. Furthermore, we show that fewer adult-born neurons were active during recall of the CS stimulus following PPS. All effects were reversed by EE. Our results demonstrate lasting effects of PPS on the hippocampus and highlight the utility of EE during adolescence for restoring normal hippocampal function. EE during adolescence is a promising method of enhancing impaired hippocampal function resulting from early life stress, and due to multiple benefits (low cost, few side effects, widespread availability), should be more thoroughly explored as a treatment option in human sufferers of childhood adversity.

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Effects of Environmental Enrichment in Maternally Separated Rats: Age and Sex-Specific Outcomes

Cited by 15 publications

References 56 publications

The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus

The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus

Effects of short environmental enrichment on early‐life adversity induced cognitive alternations in adolescent rats

Environmental enrichment rescues survival and function of adult-born neurons following early life stress

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