Maternal behavior and offspring resiliency to maternal separation in c57bl/6 mice

An overview of maternal separation effects on behavioural outcomes in mice: Evidence from a four-stage methodological systematic review

“…According to some reviews, the exponential increase in maternal separation studies in rodents has led to discrepancies in the reported effects of ELS on neurobiological and behavioural outcomes (Andersen, 2015;Nylander and Roman, 2013;Tata, 2012). Indeed, several studies have found either no maternal separation effect on some behavioural and neurobiological parameters (Boasen et al, 2009;Flanigan and Cook, 2011;Franklin et al, 2010;Millstein and Holmes, 2007) or effects opposite those predicted (Fabricius et al, 2008;Franklin et al, 2010;Gapp et al, 2014;Own and Patel, 2013 performance. In addition, some ELS behavioural effects seem to depend on the strain used in the study, with evidence indicating that the BALB/c strain is the most sensitive in exhibiting such behavioural effects.…”

Maternal separation induces neuroinflammation and long-lasting emotional alterations in mice

“…Interestingly, the maternal behaviour observed in mice from MSEW group was enhanced during the interval between post-maternal separation periods, and was attenuated just before maternal separation, when mothers and offspring had been together for some time (LlorenteBerzal et al, 2011;Pryce et al, 2001b). In addition, MSEW mothers progressively increased care during the experiment, suggesting that they development a sensitized behaviour associated with repeated periods of separation from their offspring (Own and Patel, 2013). Previous studies proposed that enhanced maternal care after periods of stress during early life could counteract the deleterious effects of neglect on behaviour (Macri et al, 2008).…”

A model of neglect during postnatal life heightens obesity-induced hypertension and is linked to a greater metabolic compromise in female mice

“…A more comprehensive study in mice revealed that levels of maternal care (i.e. licking, nursing, covering, pup handling, and nesting) increase as a function of MS180 immediately after daily maternal separation, but long-term care remains unchanged, showing that C57Bl/6 mice are resilient to maternal separation, exhibiting subtle decreases in anxiety and unchanged stress-induced corticosterone response as adults, irrespective of separation duration 58 . Hence, the MSEW model has been generated with the goal to replicate a consistent phenotype.…”