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Melo AI, Zempoalteca R, Ramirez-Funez G, Anaya-Hernández A, Porras MG, Aguirre-Benítez EL, González Del Pliego M, Armando PT, Jiménez-Estrada I. Role of tactile stimulation during the preweaning period on the development of the peripheral sensory sural (SU) nerve in adult artificially reared female rat. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22486. [PMID: 38739111 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Maternal deprivation, as a result of the artificial rearing (AR) paradigm, disturbs electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the peripheral sensory sural (SU) nerve of infant and adult male rats. Such changes are prevented by providing tactile or social stimulation during isolation. AR also affects the female rat's brain and behavior; however, it is unknown whether this early adverse experience also alters their SU nerve development or if tactile stimulation might prevent these possible developmental effects. To assess these possibilities, the electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the SU nerve from adult diestrus AR female rats that: (i) received no tactile stimulation (AR group), (ii) received tactile stimulation in the anogenital and body area (AR-Tactile group), or (iii) were mother reared (MR group) were determined. We found that the amplitude, but not the area, of the evoked compound action potential response in SU nerves of AR rats was lower than those of SU nerves of MR female rats. Tactile stimulation prevented these effects. Additionally, we found a reduction in the outer diameter and myelin thickness of axons, as well as a large proportion of axons with low myelin thickness in nerves of AR rats compared to the nerves of the MR and AR-Tactile groups of rats; however, tactile stimulation only partially prevented these effects. Our data indicate that maternal deprivation disturbs the development of sensory SU nerves in female rats, whereas tactile stimulation partially prevents the changes generated by AR. Considering that our previous studies have shown more severe effects of AR on male SU nerve development, we suggest that sex-associated factors may be involved in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Rene Zempoalteca
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Ramirez-Funez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Arely Anaya-Hernández
- Centro de Investigación en Genética y Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, Mexico
| | - Mercedes G Porras
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | | | - Pérez-Torres Armando
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Tisular, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Tactile stimulation prevents disruptions in male rat copulatory behavior induced by artificial rearing. Int J Impot Res 2022; 35:132-139. [PMID: 35087206 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00530-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Early life social interactions in gregarious mammals provide an important source of stimulation required for the development of species-typical behaviors. In the present study, complete deprivation of maternal and littermate contact through artificial rearing was used to examine the role of early social stimulation on copulatory behavior and the ejaculate in adult rats. We found that artificially reared naïve male rats were sexually motivated; nevertheless, they did not acquire the level of sexual experience that typically occurs during copulatory training. Disrupted expression of sexual experience of artificially reared rats was demonstrated by an inconsistent pattern of ejaculatory behavior across training tests. Artificial tactile stimulation applied during isolation prevented this disruption and rats achieved ejaculation in most copulatory tests. Despite the irregularity of ejaculatory behavior in isolated rats, their sperm count and seminal plug were similar to control maternally reared (sexually experienced) and artificially-reared rats that received tactile stimulation. These results suggest that tactile sensory information provided by the mother and/or littermates to the offspring is crucial for the development of copulatory behavior. The absence of social and/or tactile stimulation during early life compromises the ability of male rats to gain sexual experience in adulthood.
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Snoj T, Blažič K, Šehić N, Vake T, Majdič G. Calves' management conditions affect sperm count in adult bulls. Acta Vet Scand 2020; 62:65. [PMID: 33239077 PMCID: PMC7690124 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-020-00563-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Early maternal separation may have long-lasting physiological effects on different organ systems. Although long-lasting effects of early maternal separation are mostly studied in connection with the development and function of the central nervous system hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, animal health, behaviour and productivity, there is a lack of information about its impacts on the reproductive system. In the dairy industry, calves are often separated from mothers 1 or 2 days after birth and are not nursed. In the present retrospective study based on data from an artificial insemination (AI) centre, we compared semen parameters and fertility in bulls that were separated from their mothers one day after birth with the semen parameters of bulls that remained with their mothers and were nursed for approximately 2 months. Semen parameters were followed in 3 consecutive years in 52 maternally separated and 22 nursed bulls. Results Ejaculate volume and total sperm count in ejaculate were significantly higher in nursed bulls in comparison to maternally separated bulls at the age 25–36 and 37–48 months, but interestingly, not at the age 12–24 months, during the first year in the AI centre. Non-return rates did not differ between separated and nursed bulls. Conclusion The results suggest that early maternal separation causes long-lasting effects on the functioning of the male reproductive system, evident by reduced production of semen in adult bulls. The data suggest that with a standard of 20 million sperms per straw of frozen semen, 27–78 fewer straws can be obtained from one ejaculate of maternally separated bulls in comparison to the nursed bulls.
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Wang X, Lv Y, Xie J, Li B, Zhou T, Chen Y, Chen Y, Song J. Brain regions of marine medaka activated by acute and short-term ocean acidification. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 720:137279. [PMID: 32145610 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Altered behaviors have been reported in many marine fish following exposure to high CO2 concentrations. However, the mechanistic link between elevated CO2 and activation of brain regions in fish is unknown. Herein, we examined the relative quantification and location of c-Fos expression in marine medaka following acute (360 min) and short-term (7 d) exposure to CO2-enriched water (1000 ppm and 1800 ppm CO2). In the control and two treatment groups, pH was stable at 8.21, 7.92 and 7.64, respectively. After acute exposure to seawater acidified by enrichment with CO2, there was a clear upregulation of c-Fos protein in the medaka brain (P < 0.05). c-Fos protein expression peaked after 120 min exposure in the two treatment groups and thereafter began to decline. There were marked increases in c-Fos-labeling in the ventricular and periventricular zones of the cerebral hemispheres and the medulla oblongata. After 1800 ppm CO2 exposure for 7 d, medaka showed significant preference for dark zones during the initial 2 min period. c-Fos protein expression in the ventricular and periventricular zones of the diencephalon in medaka exposed to 1000 ppm and 1800 ppm CO2 were 0.51 ± 0.10 and 1.34 ± 0.30, respectively, which were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.05). Highest doublecortin protein expression occurred in theventricular zones of the diencephalon and mesencephalon. These findings suggest that the ventricular and periventricular zones of the cerebral hemispheres and the medulla oblongata of marine medaka are involved in rapid acid-base regulation. Prolonged ocean acidification may induce cell mitosis and differentiation in the adult medaka brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Wang
- Institute for Marine Biosystem and Neurosciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; International Research Center for Marine Biosciences at Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Science and Technology, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources (Shanghai Ocean University), Ministry of Education, China.
| | - Yutao Lv
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Jinling Xie
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Baolin Li
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Tangjian Zhou
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Yaqi Chen
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Yi Chen
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education (Shanghai Ocean University), China
| | - Jiakun Song
- Institute for Marine Biosystem and Neurosciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; International Research Center for Marine Biosciences at Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Science and Technology, China
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Zempoalteca R, Porras MG, Moreno-Pérez S, Ramirez-Funez G, Aguirre-Benítez EL, González Del Pliego M, Mariscal-Tovar S, Mendoza-Garrido ME, Hoffman KL, Jiménez-Estrada I, Melo AI. Early postnatal development of electrophysiological and histological properties of sensory sural nerves in male rats that were maternally deprived and artificially reared: Role of tactile stimulation. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:351-362. [PMID: 29197166 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early adverse experiences disrupt brain development and behavior, but little is known about how such experiences impact on the development of the peripheral nervous system. Recently, we found alterations in the electrophysiological and histological characteristics of the sensory sural (SU) nerve in maternally deprived, artificially reared (AR) adult male rats, as compared with maternally reared (MR) control rats. In the present study, our aim was to characterize the ontogeny of these alterations. Thus, male pups of four postnatal days (PND) were (1) AR group, (2) AR and received daily tactile stimulation to the body and anogenital region (AR-Tactile group); or (3) reared by their mother (MR group). At PND 7, 14, or 21, electrophysiological properties and histological characteristics of the SU nerves were assessed. At PND 7, the electrophysiological properties and most histological parameters of the SU nerve did not differ among MR, AR, and AR-Tactile groups. By contrast, at PND 14 and/or 21, the SU nerve of AR rats showed a lower CAP amplitude and area, and a significant reduction in myelin area and myelin thickness, which were accompanied by a reduction in axon area (day 21 only) compared to the nerves of MR rats. Tactile stimulation (AR-Tactile group) partially prevented most of these alterations. These results suggest that sensory cues from the mother and/or littermates during the first 7-14 PND are relevant for the proper development and function of the adult SU nerve. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 351-362, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Zempoalteca
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | - Suelem Moreno-Pérez
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México.,Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | - Gabriela Ramirez-Funez
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México.,Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | | | | | | | - Kurt Leroy Hoffman
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | | | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
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Aguirre-Benítez EL, Porras MG, Parra L, González-Ríos J, Garduño-Torres DF, Albores-García D, Avendaño A, Ávila-Rodríguez MA, Melo AI, Jiménez-Estrada I, Mendoza-Garrido ME, Toriz C, Diaz D, Ibarra-Coronado E, Mendoza-Ángeles K, Hernández-Falcón J. Disruption of behavior and brain metabolism in artificially reared rats. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:1413-1429. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mercedes G. Porras
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Leticia Parra
- Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM; México Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Arturo Avendaño
- Unidad Radiofarmacia-Ciclotrón, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM; México Mexico
| | | | - Angel I. Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62. C.P. Tlaxcala, C.P; Tlaxcala 90000 México
| | - Ismael Jiménez-Estrada
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - Ma. Eugenia Mendoza-Garrido
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - César Toriz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P, CDMX; México 07360 México
| | - Daniel Diaz
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad (C3) UNAM; México México
| | - Elizabeth Ibarra-Coronado
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Karina Mendoza-Ángeles
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
| | - Jesús Hernández-Falcón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina; UNAM, México, AP 70250, Av. Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco Universidad, México, CDMX; 04510 México México
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine if the absence of the mother during rearing has long-term effects on sexual behaviour and physiological reproductive parameters of adult rams. Two groups of rams were: (1) artificially reared, separated from their dams 24 to 36 h after birth (Week 0) and fed using sheep milk until 10 weeks of age (group AR, n=14); and (2) reared by their dams until 10 weeks of age (group DR, n=13). Sexual behaviour (tests of 20 min) and physiological reproductive parameters were analysed separately for the non-breeding (Weeks 42 to 64) and the breeding (Weeks 66 to 90) seasons. Body weight, scrotal circumference, gonado-somatic index, testosterone concentrations or sperm parameters were similar in both rearing conditions (AR v. DR) in both seasons. During the non-breeding season AR rams displayed fewer ano-genital sniffings (AR: 4.2±0.4 v. DR: 5.3±0.4, P=0.04) and matings (AR: 1.2±0.2 v. DR: 1.8±0.2, P=0.002) than DR rams. During the breeding season AR rams displayed fewer ano-genital sniffings (AR: 4.3±0.5 v. DR: 5.7±0.5, P=0.005), flehmen (AR: 0.7±0.2 v. DR: 1.1±0.2, P=0.03), mount attempts (AR: 1.4±0.2 v. DR: 2.1±0.2, P=0.04), and tended to mount less frequently (AR: 6.6±0.9 v. DR: 8.8±0.9, P=0.08) than DR rams. In conclusion, the absence of the mother during the rearing period negatively affected display of sexual behaviour towards oestrous ewes during a rams adult life in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. However, it did not affect testis size, testosterone secretion or sperm variables.
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Damián JP, Hötzel MJ, Banchero G, Ungerfeld R. Competition for oestrous ewes between rams reared by their mothers or artificially reared: Effects on sexual behaviour and testosterone and cortisol serum concentrations. Theriogenology 2017; 100:134-138. [PMID: 28708528 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine how the social competition for an oestrous ewe affects the sexual behaviour and the endocrine response in two groups of rams, one reared by their mothers and another artificially reared. Thus, we compared the sexual behaviour and testosterone and cortisol changes in each group of rams in competitive and non-competitive tests, both during the first and second breeding seasons. Two groups of rams were: 1) artificially reared lambs, separated from their dams 24-36 h after birth (Week 0) and artificially fed with sheep milk until 10 weeks of age (group AR, n = 14); and 2) lambs reared by their dams until 10 weeks of age (group DR, n = 13). Rams were subjected to non-competitive and competitive tests for an oestrous ewe during their first and second breeding seasons, when they were 8 and 20 months old, respectively. Sexual behaviours toward an oestrous ewe were recorded during 20 min and the testosterone and cortisol concentrations were determined in serum samples collected immediately before the test, and 20, 40 and 60 min after it. During the first breeding season, the number of flehmen decreased in DR rams, and the number of flehmen and ano-genital sniffings also decreased in DR rams, but the frequency of some copulatory behaviours increased (matings and ejaculation/total mounts in DR rams, and total mounts in AR rams) in competitive tests. During the second breeding season, competition caused a decrease in the number of all the recorded behaviours (courtship and copulation) with the exception of flehmen in AR rams; however, in DR rams only the number of the copulatory behaviours decreased under competition. Competition did not affect the endocrine response during the first breeding season. During the second breeding season, while testosterone concentrations were greater in non-competitive than in competitive tests at 60 min (P = 0.0008) in AR rams, in DR rams it tended to be greater (P = 0.09). Competition did not affect cortisol concentrations in any group or season, but in all tests the concentrations increased at the end of the test (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the lack of the mother during rearing negatively affected the sexual motivation and the testosterone response of rams to oestrous ewes in competitive tests, effects that were more evident when adults. Neither the absence of the mother during rearing nor competition for oestrous ewes affected the stress response (evidenced by increase in cortisol concentration) in rams during both seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Damián
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - M J Hötzel
- Laboratório de Etologia Aplicada e Bem-Estar Animal, Departamento de Zootecnia e Desenvolvimento Rural, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - G Banchero
- Unidad de Ovinos, INIA "La Estanzuela", Colonia, Uruguay
| | - R Ungerfeld
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Lomanowska AM, Melo AI. Deconstructing the function of maternal stimulation in offspring development: Insights from the artificial rearing model in rats. Horm Behav 2016; 77:224-36. [PMID: 26112882 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue on "Parental Care". Maternal behavior has an important function in stimulating adequate growth and development of the young. Several approaches have been used in primates and rodents to deconstruct and examine the influence of specific components of maternal stimulation on offspring development. These approaches include observational studies of typical mother-infant interactions and studies of the effects of intermittent or complete deprivation of maternal contact. In this review, we focus on one unique approach using rats that enables the complete control of maternal variables by means of rearing rat pups artificially without contact with the mother or litter, while maintaining stable nutrition, temperature and exposure to stressful stimuli. This artificial rearing model permits the removal and controlled replacement of relevant maternal and litter stimuli and has contributed valuable insights regarding the influence of these stimuli on various developmental outcomes. It also enables the analysis of factors implicated in social isolation itself and their long-term influence. We provide an overview of the effects of artificial rearing on behavior, physiology, and neurobiology, including the influence of replacing maternal tactile stimulation and littermate contact on these outcomes. We then discuss the relevance of these effects in terms of the maternal role in regulating different aspects of offspring development and implications for human research. We emphasize that artificial rearing of rats does not lead to a global insult of nervous system development, making this paradigm useful in investigating specific developmental effects associated with maternal stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Lomanowska
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Quebec City, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Angel I Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Laboratorio Tlaxcala, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Apdo Postal 62. C.P. Tlaxcala, Tlax. C.P. 90000, México.
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A Simple Method for Immunohistochemical Staining of Zebrafish Brain Sections for c-fos Protein Expression. Zebrafish 2015; 12:414-20. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2015.1147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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Dalmaz C, Noschang C, Krolow R, Raineki C, Lucion AB. How postnatal insults may program development: studies in animal models. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 10:121-47. [PMID: 25287539 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1372-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
During the postnatal period, the nervous system is modified and shaped by experience, in order to adjust it to the particular environment in which the animal will live. This plasticity, one of the most remarkable characteristics of the nervous system, promotes adaptive changes, but it also makes brain more vulnerable to insults. This chapter will focus on the effects of interventions during the postnatal development in animal models of neonatal handling (usually up to 15 min of handling) and maternal separation (usually at least for 3 h). Sex-specific changes and effects of prepubertal stress such as social isolation later on in life were also considered. These interventions during development induce long-lasting traces in the pups' nervous system, which will be reflected in changes in neuroendocrine functions, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axes; anxiety and cognitive performance; and feeding, sexual, and social behavior. These enduring changes may be adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the environment in which the animal will live. The challenge researchers facing now is to determine how to reverse the deleterious effects that may result from early-life stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Dalmaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porte Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Bodensteiner KJ, Christianson N, Siltumens A, Krzykowski J. Effects of Early Maternal Separation on Subsequent Reproductive and Behavioral Outcomes in Male Rats. THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2014; 141:228-46. [DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2014.897215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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13
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Segura B, Melo AI, Fleming AS, Mendoza-Garrido ME, González del Pliego M, Aguirre-Benitez EL, Hernández-Falcón J, Jiménez-Estrada I. Early social isolation provokes electrophysiological and structural changes in cutaneous sensory nerves of adult male rats. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 74:1184-93. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bertha Segura
- Department of Biology, FES Iztacala; UNAM. Av. de los Barrios 1 Col. Los Reyes Iztacala; Tlanepantla de Baz Estado de México CP 54090 México
| | - Angel I. Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal; CINVESTAV Laboratorio Tlaxcala. Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala; A.P. 62. C.P. 90000 Tlaxcala México
| | - Alison S. Fleming
- Department of Psychology; University of Toronto at Mississauga; Mississauga, Ontario 5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Maria Eugenia Mendoza-Garrido
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neurosciences; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero; C.P. 07360 México D.F México
| | | | | | - Jesús Hernández-Falcón
- Laboratorio de Redes Neuronales, Departamento de Fisiología; Facultad de Medicina, UNAM; Mexico
| | - Ismael Jiménez-Estrada
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neurosciences; CINVESTAV, IPN Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero; C.P. 07360 México D.F México
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Barbosa M, Ojanguren AF, Magurran AE. Courtship Display Persists Despite Early Social Deprivation. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alfredo F. Ojanguren
- Scottish Oceans Institute; School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews; Fife; UK
| | - Anne E. Magurran
- Scottish Oceans Institute; School of Biology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews; Fife; UK
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15
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McCormick CM, Green MR, Cameron NM, Nixon F, Levy MJ, Clark RA. Deficits in male sexual behavior in adulthood after social instability stress in adolescence in rats. Horm Behav 2013; 63:5-12. [PMID: 23174754 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Revised: 11/04/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that exposure to stressors in adolescence has long-lasting effects on emotional and cognitive behavior, but little is known as to whether reproductive functions are affected. We investigated appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior in male rats that were exposed to chronic social instability stress (SS, n=24) for 16 days in mid-adolescence compared to control rats (CTL, n=24). Over five sexual behavior test sessions with a receptive female, SS rats made fewer ejaculations (p=0.02) and had longer latencies to ejaculation (p=0.03). When only data from rats that ejaculated in the fifth session were analyzed, SS rats (n=18) had reduced copulatory efficiency (more mounts and intromissions before ejaculation) compared to CTL rats (n=19) (p=0.004), and CTL rats were twice as likely as SS rats to make more than one ejaculation in the fifth session (p=0.05). Further, more CTL (14/24) than SS (5/25) rats ejaculated in four or more sessions (p=0.05). SS rats had lower plasma testosterone concentrations than CTL rats (p=0.05), but did not differ in androgen receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, or Fos immunoreactive cell counts in the medial preoptic area. The groups did not differ in a partner preference test administered between the fourth and fifth sexual behavior session. The results suggest that developmental history contributes to individual differences in reproductive behavior, and that stress exposures in adolescence may be a factor in sexual sluggishness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Psychology, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1.
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16
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Dendritic morphology in the striatum and hypothalamus differentially exhibits experience-dependent changes in response to maternal care and early social isolation. Behav Brain Res 2012; 233:79-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 04/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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17
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Afonso VM, King SJ, Novakov M, Burton CL, Fleming AS. Accumbal dopamine function in postpartum rats that were raised without their mothers. Horm Behav 2011; 60:632-43. [PMID: 21964046 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 08/20/2011] [Accepted: 08/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Postpartum rats that had been previously raised in an artificial rearing (AR) apparatus, without their mothers or siblings during the preweaning period, show altered maternal responses towards their own offspring in adulthood. In mother-reared (MR) rats, nucleus accumbens (NAC) dopamine (DA) responses to pups evoke a robust sustained rise during the postpartum period and following treatment with estrogen/progesterone parturient-like hormones (Afonso et al., 2009). These MR females had siblings that received AR rearing with varying amounts of preweaning tactile stimulation (ARmin; ARmax). The present study examined NACshell DA responses to pup and food stimuli in these AR rats, and statistically compared them to their MR siblings. Microdialysis samples were collected from adult (90 days postnatal) AR females in different parity states (cycling vs. postpartum, Exp. 1), or after ovariectomy with different hormone treatments (sham vs. hormone, Exp. 2. After basal sample collection, pup and then food stimuli were individually presented to the females in the dialysis chamber. As with their MR siblings, basal DA concentrations were lower and pup-evoked DA responses greater in hormonally-primed AR females than in non-primed AR controls. Compared to their postpartum MR sisters (Exp. 1), AR rats had increased basal DA levels, reduced pup related DA elevations, and disrupted maternal behavior. The postpartum AR impairment in pup-evoked DA was reversed by additional pre-weaning tactile stimulation. Exogenous hormones (Exp. 2) eliminated AR impairments on pup-evoked DA responses. Although MR and AR siblings had comparable DA responses to food stimuli, upon reanalyzing MR data it was found that only postpartum dams had DA responses to pups greater than to food. These data suggest that that the hormonally induced suppression of basal DA levels may reflect saliency of pups which was greater in MR than in AR dams. Preweaning tactile stimulation could partially reverse these effects only in naturally cycling or parturient animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M Afonso
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L 1C6.
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18
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Abstract
The neurodegenerative aspect of schizophrenia presupposes gene-environmental interactions involving chromosomal abnormalities and obstetric/perinatal complications that culminate in predispositions that impart a particular vulnerability for drastic and unpredictable precipitating factors, such as stress or chemical agents. The notion of a neurodevelopmental progression to the disease state implies that early developmental insults, with neurodegenerative proclivities, evolve into structural brain abnormalities involving specific regional circuits and neurohumoral agents. This neurophysiological orchestration is expressed in the dysfunctionality observed in premorbid signs and symptoms arising in the eventual diagnosis, as well as the neurobehavioral deficits reported from animal models of the disorder. The relative contributions of perinatal insults, neonatal ventral hippocampus lesion, prenatal methylazoxymethanol acetate and early traumatic experience, as well as epigenetic contributions, are discussed from a neurodegenerative view of the essential neuropathology. It is implied that these considerations of factors that exert disruptive influences upon brain development, or normal aging, operationalize the central hub of developmental neuropathology around which the disease process may gain momentum. Nonetheless, the status of neurodegeneration in schizophrenia is somewhat tenuous and it is possible that brain imaging studies on animal models of the disorder, which may describe progressive alterations to cortical, limbic and ventricular structures similar to those of schizophrenic patients, are necessary to resolve the issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Archer
- University of Gothenburg, Department of Psychology, Box 500, SE-40530, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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19
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Chatterjee-Chakraborty M, Chatterjee D. Artificial rearing inhibits apoptotic cell death through action on pro-apoptotic signaling molecules during brain development: Replacement licking partially reverses these effects. Brain Res 2010; 1348:10-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.05.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Revised: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 05/31/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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20
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Park JH, Bonthuis P, Ding A, Rais S, Rissman EF. Androgen- and estrogen-independent regulation of copulatory behavior following castration in male B6D2F1 mice. Horm Behav 2009; 56:254-63. [PMID: 19450599 PMCID: PMC2845974 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2008] [Revised: 05/12/2009] [Accepted: 05/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Male reproductive behavior is highly dependent upon gonadal steroids. However, between individuals and across species, the role of gonadal steroids in male reproductive behavior is highly variable. In male B6D2F1 hybrid mice, a large proportion (about 30%) of animals demonstrate the persistence of the ejaculatory reflex long after castration. This provides a model to investigate the basis of gonadal steroid-independent male sexual behavior. Here we assessed whether non-gonadal steroids promote mating behavior in castrated mice. Castrated B6D2F1 hybrids that persisted in copulating (persistent copulators) were treated with the androgen receptor blocker, flutamide, and the aromatase enzyme inhibitor, letrozole, for 8 weeks. Other animals were treated with the estrogen receptor blocker, ICI 182,780, via continual intraventricular infusion for 2 weeks. None of these treatments eliminated persistent copulation. A motivational aspect of male sexual behavior, the preference for a receptive female over another male, was also assessed. This preference persisted after long-term castration in persistent copulators, and administration of ICI 182,780 did not influence partner preference. To assess the possibility of elevated sensitivity to sex steroids in brains of persistent copulators, we measured mRNA levels for genes that code for the estrogen receptor-alpha, androgen receptor, and aromatase enzyme in the medial preoptic area and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. No differences in mRNA of these genes were noted in brains of persistent versus non-persistent copulators. Taken together our results suggest that non-gonadal androgens and estrogens do not maintain copulatory behavior in B6D2F1 mice which display copulatory behavior after castration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ho Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia Medical School, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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