Zhao Zihan, Zhang Mingxu, Tang Qiqi, Lu Minghao, An Xiangyu, Cui Yajie, Zhao Mingyang, Qian Ningyuan, Shao Juan, Shi Haishui, Qie Xiaojuan, Song Li
Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Department of Senile Disease, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, China.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2025 Feb;247:173941. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173941. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
Exposure to stress in early life can have a significant impact on individuals. However, the effects of early-life stress (ELS) on prosocial behavior remain unclear, as do the underlying mechanisms. In this study, ICR juvenile mice were subjected to juvenile chronic social defeat stress (jCSDS) between postnatal days 32 and 41, during which body weight changes were continuously monitored. The behaviors of adult mice were evaluated using the open field test (OFT), the social interaction test (SIT), and the prosocial choice task (PCT). ELISA was used to quantify serum levels of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. The density of dendritic spines in the basolateral amygdala was evaluated by Golgi staining. Behavioral test results showed that jCSDS induced anxiety-like behavior and decreased prosocial selection tendency in mice. Additionally, exposure to jCSDS increased the serum levels of oxytocin, decreased those of serotonin, and increased the density of dendritic spines in the basolateral amygdala. Correlation analysis indicated that prosocial behavior was negatively correlated with serum oxytocin levels and dendritic spine density in the basolateral amygdala. These results suggested that jCSDS reduced prosocial behavior, possibly due to changes in serum oxytocin contents and adaptive changes in amygdaloid neurons.
早年暴露于应激状态会对个体产生重大影响。然而，早年应激（ELS）对亲社会行为的影响仍不清楚，其潜在机制也不明晰。在本研究中，对出生后第32天至41天的ICR幼鼠施加幼年慢性社会挫败应激（jCSDS），在此期间持续监测体重变化。使用旷场试验（OFT）、社会互动试验（SIT）和亲社会选择任务（PCT）评估成年小鼠的行为。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法测定血清中催产素、血清素和多巴胺的水平。通过高尔基染色评估基底外侧杏仁核中树突棘的密度。行为测试结果表明，jCSDS诱发了小鼠的焦虑样行为，并降低了其亲社会选择倾向。此外，暴露于jCSDS会使血清催产素水平升高，血清素水平降低，并增加基底外侧杏仁核中树突棘的密度。相关性分析表明，亲社会行为与血清催产素水平以及基底外侧杏仁核中树突棘密度呈负相关。这些结果表明，jCSDS会降低亲社会行为，这可能是由于血清催产素含量的变化以及杏仁核神经元的适应性改变所致。
