Brief Maternal Separation Inoculates Against the Effects of Social Stress on Depression-Like Behavior and Cocaine Reward in Mice

• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.825522
• Publication Date: 2022-03-14T16:41:22Z
• Authors: C. Calpe-López; M. A. Martínez-Ca...; M. P. García-Pardo; M. A. Aguilar
• Keywords: Depression; Social defeat

Exposure to intermittent repeated social defeat (IRSD) increases the vulnerability of mice rewarding effects cocaine in conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. According "inoculation stress" hypothesis, a brief period maternal separation (MS) can provide protection against negative IRSD. The aim present study was assess whether exposure episode MS prevents subsequent short-term IRSD on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors explore its long-term CPP mice. Four groups male C57BL/6 were employed; two separated from their mother [6 h postnatal day (PND) 9], while other not (controls). On PND 47, 50, 53 56, that had experienced exposed cage an aggressive resident mouse (MS + group) or allowed empty EXPL group). same procedure performed with control (CONTROL CONTROL groups). PND57-58, all elevated plus maze hole-board, interaction splash tests. Three weeks after last defeat, underwent (1 mg/kg). Irrespective taken place, reduction open arms measures, dips, observed A higher latency grooming acquisition cocaine-induced only alone IRSD). These results suggest stress early life resilience animals cocaine.