Comparing the Effects of Prenatal Stress on Corticosterone Levels in Blood and Brain Excitatory Receptors

Abstract

Introduction: The mother's stress during pregnancy can be a potential factor in the development of some neurological diseases in offspring. Biochemical pathway in response to stress is the secretion of corticotrophin releasing factor CRF from the paraventricular nucleus, which stimulates the secretion of ACTH and ultimately increases plasma glucocorticoids content. Increasing of CBL in rat offsprings is indicative of the induction of prenatal stress and can prone next generation to diseases such as epilepsy and learning disorders. In this study we tried to understand the effects of two types of stress (restraint and predatory) on CBL and brains NMDA receptors in rats. Materials & methods: 96 female rats (Wistar) were selected and after mating, pregnant rats were exposed to two kinds of prenatal stress (restraint and predator stress) during the last week of gestation. After parturition, CBL and NMDA receptors in the brains of newborns were studied. Findings: CBL especially in the male pups were higher. In second day after birth, male pups in stress groups had more NMDA receptors than control group. All pups in restraint stress group had more NMDA receptors than control group in sixth day after birth. In 15th day after birth all pups in Predator stress group express had more NMDA receptors than restraint group which in turn had more of these receptors than control group. Discussion & conclusions: stress is an effective impact on the next generation which is capable to lead to neurological diseases in the future