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Indian Journal of Experimental Biology (IJEB) >
IJEB Vol.47 [2009] >
IJEB Vol.47(11) [November 2009] >
| Title: | Chronic prenatal restraint stress induced memory impairment in passive avoidance task in post weaned male and female Wistar rats |
| Authors: | Cherian, Saju Binu
Bairy, K L
Rao, Muddanna S |
| Keywords: | Cognition
Hippocampus
Passive avoidance test
Prenatal stress |
| Issue Date: | Nov-2009 |
| Publisher: | CSIR |
| Abstract: | With a view to examine the effect of chronic
maternal stress on cognitive function in the offspring during young age,
pregnant Wistar rats were subjected to restraint stress from embryonic day 11
till delivery. Male and female pups born to these stressed rats were subjected
to passive avoidance test on postnatal day 30 and 31. Results were compared
with rats of the same age and sex born to control mothers, which were not
stressed. The results showed that prenatal maternal restraint stress impairs
the memory retention during young age in both sexes. The memory retention deficit
induced by maternal restraint stress was evident in the decreased latency to
enter the dark compartment of passive avoidance apparatus by the rats born to
stressed mothers. The observed behavioral deficit may be due to the insult of
stress on the developing hippocampus, a structure of the brain concerned with
learning and memory. The results suggest that prolonged prenatal stress leads
to long lasting malfunction in the behavioral development during young age in
both male and female young rats. However when compared to their respective
stress naïve controls, it seems evident that prenatal restraint stress has a
less effect on females which could be due to their oesterogenic effects. These
data reinforce the view that prenatal stress affects cognitive development in a
sex-specific manner. |
| Page(s): | 893-899 |
| ISSN: | 0975-1009 (Online); 0019-5189 (Print) |
| Source: | IJEB Vol.47(11) [November 2009]
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