Maternal-infant separation impedes changes in feeding behavior during estrous
cycle of rats |
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Authors: | Shinichi Iwasaki Koki Inoue |
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Institution: | Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan |
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Abstract: | Traumatic and stressful events during childhood are associated with the development of
eating disorders. We conducted an animal study to test if association stress in childhood
affects ingestive behavior later in life by using female rats that have an adjusted
estrous cycle. First, electrical impedance of the vagina was conducted to test estrous
cycle adjustment. Second, the effects of 6 h per day maternal separation from birth to
weaning, which models a psychologically stressful experience in childhood, was used to
test feeding behavior during an ovarian cycle in female adult rats with matched estrous
cycles. Food and water intake in maternal separated and non-separated rats was measured in
each estrous phase. Non-separated rats showed periodical changes, but maternal separated
rats showed no significant changes in food and water intake during an estrous cycle. An
opposing tendency for food and water intake was seen between maternal separated and
non-separated rats. These observations suggest that electrical impedance of the vagina
showed the highest value in the estrous phase of rats housed in a reversed light-dark
cycle, and maternal separation was found to disturb changes in feeding behavior during the
estrous cycle. |
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Keywords: | eating disorders electrical impedance of the vagina estrous cycle female rat maternal separation |
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