Neuroimmunomodulation Research Group, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Neuroimmunomodulation. 2010;17(4):240-51. doi: 10.1159/000290040. Epub 2010 Mar 5.
This study investigated the relationship between maternal sickness behavior during pregnancy and offspring development and behavior.
Pregnant Wistar rats were administered with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 microg/kg, i.p.) on gestation day (GD) 9.5. Dams' sickness behavior was analyzed, and at birth, offspring number and weight were evaluated. Male offspring was evaluated through physical development, play behavior, adult social interaction, plus maze studies and morphological analysis of the brain.
Results, with respect to the control group, showed that: (1) LPS decreased general activity, food intake, and weight gain in dams, but no pyrexia was observed following treatment; (2) LPS reduced litter size, but no alterations in physical development were observed; (3) LPS reduced play behavior parameters in baby rats; (4) LPS decreased adult social interaction; (5) no alterations were observed between groups on plus maze studies; (6) no differences were observed between groups on morphological analyses of the brain.
These data reveal that LPS administered on GD 9.5 impaired male offspring's social behavior in infancy and adulthood. These results may be related to an alteration in motivational states or/and increased anxiety.
本研究旨在探讨孕期母体患病行为与后代发育和行为之间的关系。
在妊娠第 9.5 天，对 Wistar 孕鼠腹腔内注射脂多糖（LPS，100μg/kg）。分析母体的患病行为，并在出生时评估后代的数量和体重。雄性后代通过身体发育、玩耍行为、成年社交互动、加迷宫研究和大脑形态分析进行评估。
与对照组相比，结果显示：（1）LPS 降低了母体的一般活动、食物摄入和体重增加，但治疗后未出现发热；（2）LPS 减少了产仔数，但未观察到身体发育的改变；（3）LPS 降低了幼鼠的玩耍行为参数；（4）LPS 降低了成年社交互动；（5）加迷宫研究中各组间无差异；（6）各组间大脑形态分析无差异。
这些数据表明，在妊娠第 9.5 天给予 LPS 可损害雄性后代婴儿期和成年期的社交行为。这些结果可能与动机状态的改变或/和焦虑增加有关。
