Prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress increase sensitivity to stress and gonadal hormone influences on cognition in adult female rats. 2015

Wendy L Comeau, and Kristen Lee, and Katie Anderson, and Joanne Weinberg
Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada. Electronic address: comeauwe@mail.ubc.ca.

Abnormal activity of stress hormone (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA]), and gonadal hormone (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal [HPG]) systems is reported following prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). PAE increases vulnerability of brain regions involved in regulation of these systems to stressors or challenges during sensitive periods of development, such as adolescence. In addition, HPA and HPG functions are linked to higher order functions such as executive function (EF), with dysregulation of either system adversely affecting EF processes, including attention and response inhibition, that influence cognition. However, how HPA and HPG systems interact to influence cognitive performance in individuals with an FASD is not fully understood. To investigate, we used a rat model of moderate PAE. Adolescent female PAE and control offspring were exposed to 10days of chronic mild stress (CMS) and cognitive function was assessed on the radial arm maze (RAM) in adulthood. On the final test day, animals were sacrificed, with blood collected for hormone analyses, and vaginal smears taken to assess estrus stage at the time of termination. Analyses showed that adolescent CMS significantly increased levels of CORT and RAM errors during proestrus in adult PAE but not control females. Moreover, CORT levels were correlated with estradiol levels and with RAM errors, but only in PAE females, with outcome dependent on adolescent CMS condition. These results suggest that PAE increases sensitivity to the influences of stress and gonadal hormones on cognition, and thus, in turn, that HPA and HPG dysregulation may underlie some of the deficits in executive function described previously in PAE females.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011297 Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects The consequences of exposing the FETUS in utero to certain factors, such as NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; DRUGS; RADIATION; and other physical or chemical factors. These consequences are observed later in the offspring after BIRTH. Delayed Effects, Prenatal Exposure,Late Effects, Prenatal Exposure
D002492 Central Nervous System Depressants A very loosely defined group of drugs that tend to reduce the activity of the central nervous system. The major groups included here are ethyl alcohol, anesthetics, hypnotics and sedatives, narcotics, and tranquilizing agents (antipsychotics and antianxiety agents). CNS Depressants,Depressants, CNS
D003072 Cognition Disorders Disorders characterized by disturbances in mental processes related to learning, thinking, reasoning, and judgment. Overinclusion,Disorder, Cognition,Disorders, Cognition
D003345 Corticosterone An adrenocortical steroid that has modest but significant activities as a mineralocorticoid and a glucocorticoid. (From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1437)
D004958 Estradiol The 17-beta-isomer of estradiol, an aromatized C18 steroid with hydroxyl group at 3-beta- and 17-beta-position. Estradiol-17-beta is the most potent form of mammalian estrogenic steroids. 17 beta-Estradiol,Estradiol-17 beta,Oestradiol,17 beta-Oestradiol,Aerodiol,Delestrogen,Estrace,Estraderm TTS,Estradiol Anhydrous,Estradiol Hemihydrate,Estradiol Hemihydrate, (17 alpha)-Isomer,Estradiol Monohydrate,Estradiol Valerate,Estradiol Valeriante,Estradiol, (+-)-Isomer,Estradiol, (-)-Isomer,Estradiol, (16 alpha,17 alpha)-Isomer,Estradiol, (16 alpha,17 beta)-Isomer,Estradiol, (17-alpha)-Isomer,Estradiol, (8 alpha,17 beta)-(+-)-Isomer,Estradiol, (8 alpha,17 beta)-Isomer,Estradiol, (9 beta,17 alpha)-Isomer,Estradiol, (9 beta,17 beta)-Isomer,Estradiol, Monosodium Salt,Estradiol, Sodium Salt,Estradiol-17 alpha,Estradiol-17beta,Ovocyclin,Progynon-Depot,Progynova,Vivelle,17 beta Estradiol,17 beta Oestradiol,Estradiol 17 alpha,Estradiol 17 beta,Estradiol 17beta,Progynon Depot
D005260 Female Females
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000431 Ethanol A clear, colorless liquid rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. It has bactericidal activity and is used often as a topical disinfectant. It is widely used as a solvent and preservative in pharmaceutical preparations as well as serving as the primary ingredient in ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. Alcohol, Ethyl,Absolute Alcohol,Grain Alcohol,Alcohol, Absolute,Alcohol, Grain,Ethyl Alcohol

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