Maternal separation prior to neonatal hypoxia‐ischemia: Impact on emotional aspects of behavior and markers of synaptic plasticity in hippocampus

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2016.04.002
• Publication Date: 2016-05-08T11:45:41Z
• Authors: Ioanna Markostamou; Anestis Ioannidis; Evgenia Dandi; Maria‐Aikaterini ...; Evangelia Nousiop...; Constantina Simeo...; Evangelia Spandou; Despina Α. Tata
• Keywords: Synaptophysin; Maternal deprivation; Hypoxia

Exposure to early-life stress is associated with long-term alterations in brain and behavior, may aggravate the outcome of neurological insults. This study aimed at investigating possible interaction between maternal separation, a model early stress, subsequent neonatal hypoxia-ischemia on emotional behavior markers synaptic plasticity hippocampus. Therefore, rat pups (N=60) were maternally separated for prolonged (MS 180min) or brief 15min) period during first six postnatal days, while control group was left undisturbed. Hypoxia-ischemia applied subgroup each rearing condition day 7. Emotional examined three months age included assessments anxiety (elevated plus maze), depression-like (forced swimming) spontaneous exploration (open field). Synaptic evaluated based BDNF synaptophysin expression CA3 dentate gyrus hippocampal regions. We found that caused increased levels anxiety, locomotor activity (ambulation). Higher also seen rats (MS180min) compared non-maternally rats, but separation prior HI did not potentiate HI-associated effect. No differences among conditions regarding ambulation. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed both significantly reduced its gyrus. Decreases these areas exacerbated HI. Regarding expression, we significant decrease immunoreactivity only hypoxic-ischemic subjected paradigm. The above findings suggest leads dorsal hippocampus adulthood, does exacerbate HI-related changes behavior.