Long-Lasting Effects of Maternal Separation on an Animal Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Effects on Memory and Hippocampal Oxidative Stress |
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Authors: | Luisa A Diehl Lucas O Alvares Cristie Noschang Douglas Engelke Ana C Andreazza Carlos Alberto S Gonçalves Jorge A Quillfeldt Carla Dalmaz |
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Institution: | Departamento de Bioquímica, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil. diehl.luisa@gmail.com |
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Abstract: | Adverse early life events, such as periodic maternal separation, may alter the normal pattern of brain development and subsequently
the vulnerability to a variety of mental disorders in adulthood. Patients with a history of early adversities show higher
frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study was undertaken to verify if repeated long-term separation of
pups from dams would affect memory and oxidative stress parameters after exposure to an animal model of PTSD. Nests of Wistar
rats were divided into intact and subjected to maternal separation (incubator at 32°C, 3 h/day) during post-natal days 1–10.
When adults, the animals were subdivided into exposed or not to a PTSD model consisting of exposure to inescapable footshock,
followed by situational reminders. One month after exposure to the shock, the animals were exposed to a memory task (Morris
water maze) and another month later animals were sacrificed and DNA breaks and antioxidant enzymes activities were measured
in the hippocampus. Rats exposed to shock or maternal separation plus shock showed long-lasting effects on spatial memory,
spending more time in the opposite quadrant of the water maze. This effect was higher in animals subjected to both maternal
separation and shock. Both shock and maternal separation induced a higher score of DNA breaks in the hippocampus. No differences
were observed on antioxidant enzymes activities. In conclusion, periodic maternal separation may increase the susceptibility
to the effects of a stressor applied in adulthood on performance in the water maze. Increased DNA breaks in hippocampus was
induced by both, maternal separation and exposure to shock. |
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