Behavioral deficits, abnormal corticosterone, and reduced prefrontal metabolites of adolescent rats subject to early life stress

J Zhang, CG Abdallah, Y Chen, T Huang, Q Huang…�- Neuroscience�…, 2013 - Elsevier
J Zhang, CG Abdallah, Y Chen, T Huang, Q Huang, C Xu, Y Xiao, Y Liu, Y Ding, R Wu
Neuroscience letters, 2013Elsevier
The present study investigated the effect of early life stress in adolescent rats on brain
metabolites, serum corticosterone, and depressive-like behavior. A group of rats was subject
to early life stress from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 14. A matched control group was studied.
Behavioral tests, serum corticosterone and high-resolution proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopy were conducted between PND 30 and 40. In this study, adolescent rats
exposed to early life stress demonstrated depressive-like behavior and increased serum�…
Abstract
The present study investigated the effect of early life stress in adolescent rats on brain metabolites, serum corticosterone, and depressive-like behavior. A group of rats was subject to early life stress from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 14. A matched control group was studied. Behavioral tests, serum corticosterone and high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were conducted between PND 30 and 40. In this study, adolescent rats exposed to early life stress demonstrated depressive-like behavior and increased serum corticosterone during adolescence. They also showed reduced glutamate, glutamine, and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels in the prefrontal cortex. A reduced myo-inositol level, consistent with astroglial deficits, was observed but was not statistically significant. Together, these findings characterize the effect of early life stress on adolescent animals and underscore the long-lasting and detrimental effects of childhood adversities.
Elsevier