Nakhjiri Elnaz, Saboory Ehsan, Roshan-Milani Shiva, Rasmi Yousef, Khalafkhani Davod
a Studental Research Committee , Urmia University of Medical Sciences , Urmia , Iran.
b Neurophysiology Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences , Urmia , Iran.
Stress. 2017 Mar;20(2):205-211. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1306053. Epub 2017 Mar 28.
Stressful events and exposure to opiates during gestation have important effects on the later mental health of the offspring. Anxiety is among the most common mental disorders. The present study aimed to identify effects of prenatal restraint stress and morphine co-administration on plasma vasopressin concentration (PVC) and anxiety behaviors in rats. Pregnant rats were divided into four groups (n = 6, each): saline, morphine, stress + saline and stress + morphine treatment. The stress procedure consisted of restraint twice per day, two hours per session, for three consecutive days starting on day 15 of pregnancy. Rats in the saline and morphine groups received either 0.9% saline or morphine intraperitoneally on the same days. In the morphine/saline + stress groups, rats were exposed to restraint stress and received either morphine or saline intraperitoneally. All offspring were tested in an elevated plus maze (EPM) on postnatal day 90 (n = 6, each sex), and anxiety behaviors of each rat were recorded. Finally, blood samples were collected to determine PVC. Prenatal morphine exposure reduced anxiety-like behaviors. Co-administration of prenatal stress and morphine increased locomotor activity (LA) and PVC. PVC was significantly lower in female offspring of the morphine and morphine + stress groups compared with males in the same group, but the opposite was seen in the saline + stress group. These data emphasize the impact of prenatal stress and morphine on fetal neuroendocrine development, with long-term changes in anxiety-like behaviors and vasopressin secretion. These changes are sex specific, indicating differential impact of prenatal stress and morphine on fetal neuroendocrine system development. Lay Summary Pregnant women are sometimes exposed to stressful and painful conditions which may lead to poor outcomes for offspring. Opiates may provide pain and stress relief to these mothers. In this study, we used an experimental model of maternal exposure to stress and morphine in pregnant rats. The findings indicated that maternal stress increased anxiety in offspring while morphine decreased such effects, but had negative effects on the levels of a hormone controlling blood pressure, and activity of offspring. Hence morphine should not be used in pregnancy for pain and stress relief.
孕期的应激事件和接触阿片类药物会对后代的心理健康产生重要影响。焦虑是最常见的精神障碍之一。本研究旨在确定产前束缚应激和联合使用吗啡对大鼠血浆血管加压素浓度（PVC）及焦虑行为的影响。将怀孕大鼠分为四组（每组n = 6）：生理盐水组、吗啡组、应激 + 生理盐水组和应激 + 吗啡组。应激程序包括从妊娠第15天开始，每天束缚两次，每次两小时，连续三天。生理盐水组和吗啡组的大鼠在相同日期腹腔注射0.9%生理盐水或吗啡。在吗啡/生理盐水 + 应激组中，大鼠接受束缚应激并腹腔注射吗啡或生理盐水。所有后代在出生后第90天在高架十字迷宫（EPM）中进行测试（每组每种性别n = 6），记录每只大鼠的焦虑行为。最后，采集血样以测定PVC。产前接触吗啡可减少焦虑样行为。产前应激与吗啡联合使用会增加运动活动（LA）和PVC。吗啡组和吗啡 + 应激组的雌性后代PVC显著低于同组雄性后代，但生理盐水 + 应激组情况相反。这些数据强调了产前应激和吗啡对胎儿神经内分泌发育的影响，以及焦虑样行为和血管加压素分泌的长期变化。这些变化具有性别特异性，表明产前应激和吗啡对胎儿神经内分泌系统发育的影响存在差异。简要总结：孕妇有时会面临应激和疼痛状况，这可能导致后代出现不良后果。阿片类药物可能会缓解这些母亲的疼痛和应激。在本研究中，我们使用了孕鼠暴露于应激和吗啡的实验模型。研究结果表明，母体应激会增加后代的焦虑，而吗啡可减轻这种影响，但对控制血压的激素水平和后代活动有负面影响。因此，孕期不应使用吗啡来缓解疼痛和应激。
