Markers of Neuroontogenesis in the Stress-Hyporesponsive Period: Comparison of Laboratory Rodents and Humans

Abstract

Nowadays there is a number of neuropsychiatric diseases that are considered to be associated with early life stress. Various models are used on laboratory rodents to elucidate the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of psychopathologies that cannot be studied in humans. For successful translation of data, it is necessary to compare the processes of neuroontogenesis at the moment of exposure and subsequent periods. There are many comparative studies concerning the development of neurons and neuronal networks, as well as changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In recent years, it has been reliably shown that glial cells are an important participant in both brain development and its response to stress. The opinion that it is microglia and astrocytes that represent the most promising targets for therapeutic intervention in stress-related diseases is supported. However, there are still no comparative analytical studies covering both stress-realizing systems and neuronal and glial markers of development. This review fills this gap. Here we provide a new perspective for considering the problems of modeling childhood stress and translating the data obtained. The presented analysis, on the one hand, supplements the existing understanding of the correspondence between the stages of brain development in laboratory rodents and humans, and, on the other hand, marks points of growth and raises new questions for researchers of stress in early ontogenesis.