Early maternal separation promotes alterations in the thermoregulatory profile of adult wistar rats

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the thermoregulatory profile of adult male Wistar rats submitted to early-life stress by maternal separation (MS). On postnatal days 2 to 14, rats were submitted daily to MS for 3 hours per day. At 3-4 months of age, anxiety-like behavior was evaluated using the open field test and elevated plus maze, depression-like behavior was evaluated using the forced swim test and thermoregulatory profile were also evaluated. In the behavioral tests, MS animals exhibited anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, and had higher core body temperatures during dark period of the circadian cycle, when compared to controls. In addition, MS animals presented higher hyperthermic and vasoconstriction responses than control animals when exposed to the warmth environment, and engaged in cold-seeking behavior whenever possible to select their preferred ambient temperature. The results suggest that, besides emotional alterations, MS induces a change in the thermoregulatory profile of rats that persists into adulthood.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Thermal Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research