Sparling Jessica E, Baker Stephanie L, Bielajew Catherine
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Behav Brain Res. 2018 Nov 1;353:40-50. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.033. Epub 2018 Jun 30.
The pre- and post-natal periods are characterized by unrivalled growth and are sensitive to environmental changes. A correctly stimulating early environment is essential for developing natural behaviors and maintaining affective wellness. Five litters of rat progeny were co-housed through gestation until juvenile age in housing providing physical and social enrichment. Five control litters were housed separately in standard conditions. Half of the offspring were tested in the elevated plus-maze and the social interaction test as juveniles (five weeks old) with the other half tested in the Morris water maze. As adults (11 weeks old), the testing groups were reversed. Weight was monitored weekly. Enriched offspring had leaner body weights. In the elevated plus-maze, control juvenile progeny spent a higher percentage of time in the open arms, showed greater locomotor activity, less grooming, and more rearing (males only). In the social interaction test, enriched juvenile offspring were found to sniff their conspecific more, display more self-grooming behaviour as well as show less locomotor activity and body contact. In the Morris water maze probe test, enriched rats demonstrated improved memory for the platform position and more effective search strategies with increased platform crossings, middle crossing as well as more time spent in the platform quadrant and less thigmotaxis behaviour. Adult female rat offspring also demonstrated superior memory for the platform position and crossed the maze middle more often. These results suggest that combined pre- and post-natal environmental enrichment influences physiology and behaviour in offspring rats with some of those influences being long-lasting.
产前和产后阶段的特点是无与伦比的生长速度，并且对环境变化敏感。一个能给予正确刺激的早期环境对于自然行为的发展和情感健康的维持至关重要。五窝大鼠后代在整个妊娠期直至幼年都共同饲养在提供物理和社交丰富化的环境中。五窝对照大鼠单独饲养在标准条件下。一半的后代在幼年（五周龄）时进行高架十字迷宫试验和社交互动测试，另一半在莫里斯水迷宫中进行测试。成年后（十一周龄），测试组进行了互换。每周监测体重。环境丰富组的后代体重更轻。在高架十字迷宫试验中，对照幼年后代在开放臂中花费的时间百分比更高，表现出更大的运动活性、更少的梳理行为以及更多的直立行为（仅雄性）。在社交互动测试中，发现环境丰富的幼年后代更多地嗅闻同种个体，表现出更多的自我梳理行为，同时运动活性和身体接触更少。在莫里斯水迷宫探针试验中，环境丰富的大鼠对平台位置的记忆有所改善，搜索策略更有效，平台穿越次数增加、中间穿越次数增加，在平台象限花费的时间更多，趋触性行为更少。成年雌性大鼠后代对平台位置也表现出更好的记忆，并且更频繁地穿越迷宫中间。这些结果表明，产前和产后环境丰富化相结合会影响后代大鼠的生理和行为，其中一些影响是持久的。
