Sex-dependent effects of early unstable post-natal environment on response to positive and negative stimuli in adult mice

Publication date: Available online 20 June 2019Source: NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Matteo Di Segni, Diego Andolina, Sebastian Luca D’Addario, Lucy Babicola, Donald Ielpo, Alessandra Luchetti, Tiziana Pascucci, Luisa Lo Iacono, Francesca R. D'Amato, Rossella VenturaAbstractAlterations in early environmental conditions that interfere with the creation of a stable mother-pup bond have been suggested to be a risk factor for the development of stress-related psychopathologies later in life. The long-lasting effects of early experiences are mediated by changes in various cerebral circuits, such as the corticolimbic system, which processes aversive and rewarding stimuli. However, it is evident that the early environment is not sufficient per se to induce psychiatric disorders; interindividual (eg, sex-based) differences in the response to environmental challenges exist. To examine the sex-related effects that are induced by an early experience on later events in adulthood, we determine the enduring effects of repeated cross-fostering (RCF) in female and male C57BL/6J mice. To this end, we assessed the behavioral phenotype of RCF and control (male and female) mice in the saccharine preference test and cocaine-induced conditioned place preference to evaluate the response to natural and pharmacological stimuli and in the elevated plus maze test and forced swimming test to measure their anxiety- and depression-like behavior. We also evaluated FST-induced c-Fos immunoreactivity in various b...
Source: Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research