Injections to pregnant mice produce prenatal stress that affects aggressive behavior in their adult male offspring
Maternal stress could reprogram the developing fetal nervous system. A common target of maternal glucocorticoids is fetal neuro-endocrine axis. In the present study, pregnant mice were exposed to stress by injection and their male offspring were tested for sexual and aggressive behaviors in adult life. Three groups of pregnant mice were exposed to stress by […]
Unpredictable mild stressors on laying females influence the composition of Japanese quail eggs and offspring’s phenotype
Maternal stress effects on offspring development have been studied largely in rodents and primates, and to a lesser extent in farm animals. Potential lack of knowledge concerning prenatal stress on farm animals is regrettable because they are frequently subjected to a variety of husbandry stressors. Above all, effects of maternal stress on poultry offspring have […]
Gentle vs. aversive handling of pregnant ewes: II. Physiology and behavior of the lambs
We compared the effects of aversive and gentle handling in late pregnant ewes on fearfulness, heart rate variability and spatial learning in lambs. Twenty-four Norwegian-Dala ewes were studied. Ewes were subjected to gentle (i.e. soft talking and calm behavior) or aversive handling (i.e. swift movements and shouting) for 10 min twice a day during the last […]
Sex-specific susceptibility to cocaine in rats with a history of prenatal stress
Across species, maternal stress during prenatal life (prenatal stress [PS]) increases the expression of health complications in the developing offspring. While numerous reports indicate that male rats with a history of PS are vulnerable to psychiatric disease-like symptoms and drugs of abuse, comparable studies with females have been more limited. Here, the effects of PS […]
Psychosocial maternal stress during pregnancy: Effects on reproduction for F0 and F1 generation laboratory rats
The impact of daily social maternal stress on reproduction parameters was studied in F0 and F1 generation female Long–Evans rats. Chronic maternal stress was induced in pregnant females (F0 females) by 2 h social confrontation with a dominant female throughout pregnancy. Social stress of F0 females was associated with lower maternal body mass investment in […]
Gender-specific effects of prenatal stress on emotional reactivity and stress physiology of goat kids
The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of maternal stress during pregnancy on the emotional reactivity, the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, and the sympatho-adrenomedullary (SAM) system of goat offspring according to their gender, and to investigate the role of maternal cortisol in prenatal stress effects. Goats were exposed to ten transports in isolation […]
Living in a dangerous world decreases maternal care: A study in serotonin transporter knockout mice
Adverse early experiences can profoundly influence the adult behavioral profile. When pregnant and lactating mice are confronted with soiled bedding of unfamiliar males (UMB), these stimuli signal the danger of infanticide and thus simulate a “dangerous world”. In a previous study, offspring of UMB treated mothers were shown to display increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced […]
Cortisol administration to pregnant sows affects novelty-induced locomotion, aggressive behaviour, and blunts gender differences in their offspring
Several behavioural effects of prenatal stress are reported in literature, and these seem to depend, among other factors, on the gender studied and the period of gestation in which prenatal stress is applied. In the present study, oral administration of hydrocortisone-acetate (HCA) to 41 pregnant sows was used as a model for prenatal stress, since […]
Prenatal stress and ketamine affect the behavioral and physiological responsiveness of early adolescent pigs to a novel arena and social confrontation test
Elevated maternal glucocorticoid concentrations during gestation can affect how the offspring respond, both behaviorally and physiologically, to a challenge later in life. The objectives of this study were to first, determine if elevated maternal glucocorticoid concentrations during late gestation affect the behavioral and physiological response of the female offspring to a challenge during early adolescence, […]
Positive and negative gestational handling influences placental traits and mother-offspring behavior in dairy goats
Dairy animals are subjected to a number of potential stressors throughout their lives, including daily interactions with humans. The quality of these interactions may have direct consequences for the animal undergoing the experience, but if such events occur during gestation it may also affect the developing fetus. This study examined the effects of differential handling […]