Psychological prenatal stress reduced the number of BrdU immunopositive cells in the dorsal hippocampus without affecting the open field behavior of male and female rats at one month of age

Developmental exposure to SSRIs, in addition to maternal stress, has long-term sex-dependent effects on hippocampal plasticity

“…Prenatal restraint stress alone reduced the survival of new cells (3 weeks after the last BrdU injection), the number of immature neurons and the number of differentiated new neurons in 4-and 26-monthold male rats (Lemaire et al 2006). Also, exposure to psychological prenatal stress decreased survival of newborn cells (1 and 11 weeks after the BrdU injection) in the dorsal hippocampus of adolescent and adult male and female rats (Odagiri et al 2008). Furthermore, it has been shown that the survival of new hippocampal neurons (4.5 weeks after BrdU injection) in adolescent male offspring is reduced after prenatal restraint stress and maternal defeat stress exposure in dams with high anxiety-related behavior (Lucassen et al 2009).…”

“…Reductions in new cell survival in the hippocampus after prenatal stress have been reported (Lemaire et al 2006;Odagiri et al 2008;Zuena et al 2008). For example, adult male rats, but not adult female rats, exposed to prenatal restraint stress show reductions in hippocampal new cell survival, 2 weeks after the last BrdU injection (Zuena et al 2008).…”

“…In animal models of gestational stress, offspring exhibit a number of cognitive and behavioral impairments that mimic aspects of the clinical situation (Glover et al 2010;Maccari et al 2003;Maccari and Morley-Fletcher 2007;Weinstock 2008;Zagron and Weinstock 2006). In addition, reductions of hippocampal volume, inhibition of hippocampal cell proliferation, and neurogenesis have also been shown after prenatal stress exposure in animal models (Coe et al 2003;Gong et al 2012;Kawamura et al 2006;Koehl et al 2009;Lemaire et al 2000;Lucassen et al 2009;Odagiri et al 2008), suggesting a strong link between behavioral outcomes and hippocampal plasticity, so-called morphofunctional interactions.…”

Exposure to Prenatal Psychobiological Stress Exerts Programming Influences on the Mother and Her Fetus

“…These mechanisms include changes in neurotransmitter levels, adult neurogenesis, as well as cell growth and survival.Pre- and postnatal stress exposure has been associated with changes in N-methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor expression in the hippocampus and frontal cortex [83,84,85], reduced adult neurogenesis [52,86,87,88,89] and reduced BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex [84,90,91,92]. …”

Long-Term Effects of Prenatal Stress on the Characteristics of Hippocampal Neurons in Rats with Different Excitability of the Nervous Systems

“…Based on these results we can assume that long-term effects of PEPS on the behavior of offsprings of stressed mothers may be related with both impaired neurogenesis and alterations in chromosome structure in neurons inducing changes in gene expression (reduced HC areadespiralization of chromatinncreased access of transcription factors to gene promotersenhanced gene expression) and as a result, to modifi cation of neuronal characteristics. And if the fi rst suggestion has scarce evidence [3,8,9], the second one is a priority and its further development will provide the basis for genetic engineering correction of PEPS pathological effects. …”