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Thermoregulatory, metabolic and stress responses to spring shearing of aged ewes born to undernourished mothers. J Therm Biol 2023; 113:103503. [PMID: 37055122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Maternal undernutrition during gestation affects the behaviour, metabolism, and sensitivity to stressors of the offspring. Shearing is a stressor that triggers physiological and behavioural changes and augments the thermoregulatory demands in sheep. The aim of this study was to compare the thermoregulatory, metabolic, and behavioural responses to spring shearing of aged ewes born to mothers who grazed different pasture allowances during gestation. Nineteen non-gestating six-year-old Corriedale ewes born to mothers who grazed two pasture allowances from 23 days before conception until 122 days of gestation were used. The pasture allowance offered to the mothers was high [HPA group; n = 11; 10-12 kg of dry matter (DM)/100 kg of body weight (BW)/day] or low [LPA group: n = 8; 5-8 kg of DM/100 kg of BW/day]. The adult offspring of both experimental groups were sheared during spring (Day 0), and remained outdoors, grazing natural grassland, and the behaviour, the surface temperature and the rectal temperature were recorded. Blood concentrations of albumin, total protein, glucose, and insulin were also determined. Data were compared with a mixed model. The LPA ewes had lower ear and nose maximum and minimum surface temperatures before shearing (P < 0.05). On Day 15, the average surface temperature of the vulva was lower in LPA than in HPA ewes (P < 0.05). After shearing, rumination frequency was greater in HPA than in LPA ewes (P = 0.01), and LPA ewes were observed more time standing up than HPA ewes (P < 0.0001). Insulin concentration tended to be greater in LPA than HPA ewes (P = 0.06). Maternal undernutrition during gestation modified the thermoregulatory responses and the acute behavioural changes after shearing in aged female offspring, whilst the metabolism was affected to a lesser degree. The long-term effects noticed in this study highlight the importance of providing proper nutrition to pregnant ewes.
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Boulanger-Bertolus J, Mouly AM. Ultrasonic Vocalizations Emission across Development in Rats: Coordination with Respiration and Impact on Brain Neural Dynamics. Brain Sci 2021; 11:616. [PMID: 34064825 PMCID: PMC8150956 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats communicate using ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) throughout their life when confronted with emotionally stimulating situations, either negative or positive. The context of USV emission and the psychoacoustic characteristics of the vocalizations change greatly between infancy and adulthood. Importantly, the production of USV is tightly coordinated with respiration, and respiratory rhythm is known to influence brain activity and cognitive functions. This review goes through the acoustic characteristics and mechanisms of production of USV both in infant and adult rats and emphasizes the tight relationships that exist between USV emission and respiration throughout the rat's development. It further describes how USV emission and respiration collectively affect brain oscillatory activities. We discuss the possible association of USV emission with emotional memory processes and point out several avenues of research on USV that are currently overlooked and could fill gaps in our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Boulanger-Bertolus
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5048, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, University Lyon 1, 69366 Lyon, France
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3
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Brudzynski SM. Biological Functions of Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations, Arousal Mechanisms, and Call Initiation. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050605. [PMID: 34065107 PMCID: PMC8150717 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
This review summarizes all reported and suspected functions of ultrasonic vocalizations in infant and adult rats. The review leads to the conclusion that all types of ultrasonic vocalizations subserving all functions are vocal expressions of emotional arousal initiated by the activity of the reticular core of the brainstem. The emotional arousal is dichotomic in nature and is initiated by two opposite-in-function ascending reticular systems that are separate from the cognitive reticular activating system. The mesolimbic cholinergic system initiates the aversive state of anxiety with concomitant emission of 22 kHz calls, while the mesolimbic dopaminergic system initiates the appetitive state of hedonia with concomitant emission of 50 kHz vocalizations. These two mutually exclusive arousal systems prepare the animal for two different behavioral outcomes. The transition from broadband infant isolation calls to the well-structured adult types of vocalizations is explained, and the social importance of adult rat vocal communication is emphasized. The association of 22 kHz and 50 kHz vocalizations with aversive and appetitive states, respectively, was utilized in numerous quantitatively measured preclinical models of physiological, psychological, neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neurodevelopmental investigations. The present review should help in understanding and the interpretation of these models in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan M Brudzynski
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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Chagas LA, Batista TH, Ribeiro ACAF, Ferrari MS, Vieira JS, Rojas VCT, Kalil-Cutti B, Elias LLK, Giusti-Paiva A, Vilela FC. Anxiety-like behavior and neuroendocrine changes in offspring resulting from gestational post-traumatic stress disorder. Behav Brain Res 2020; 399:113026. [PMID: 33248193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful environmental events during the perinatal period can increase vulnerability to psychopathologies that cause neuroendocrine changes associated with deficits in emotional behavior that can appear early in life. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a frequent, chronic, and disabling disorder that negatively impacts the emotional, social, and cognitive behaviors of affected individuals. Thus, we induced PTSD in pregnant rats by applying inescapable footshocks and then investigated the behavioral parameters similar to anxiety in offspring at prepubertal age, in addition to the plasma levels of maternal and offspring corticosterone and expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the offspring's hippocampus. With the dams, maternal behavior, open field, and object recognition tests were performed. With the male and female offspring, we performed the following: quantification of ultrasonic vocalizations, elevated plus-maze test, evaluation of exploratory activity in the open field, and hole board test, as well as plasma corticosterone measurements and Western blotting for GR. Our results showed that gestational PTSD affected maternal behavior, led to anxiety-like symptoms, increased corticosterone levels, and increased GR expression in the offspring's hippocampus. Therefore, our data can contribute to the understanding of the onset of early (childhood and juvenile/pre-pubertal phases) anxiety owing to exposure to a traumatic event during the gestation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana A Chagas
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Tatiane H Batista
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | | | - Mariela S Ferrari
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Jádina S Vieira
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Viviana C T Rojas
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Bruna Kalil-Cutti
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Lucila L K Elias
- Departmento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Fabiana C Vilela
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil.
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Colucci P, De Castro V, Peloso A, Splendori M, Trezza V, Campolongo P. Perinatal exposure to omega-3 fatty acid imbalance leads to early behavioral alterations in rat pups. Behav Brain Res 2020; 392:112723. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Abuaish S, Tse EK, McGowan PO. Perinatal high-fat diet impairs pup retrieval and induces sex-specific changes in ultrasonic vocalization characteristics of rat pups. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:436-445. [PMID: 31564067 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Rodent pups emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to solicit maternal behavior, promoting their survival. Conversely, maternal behaviors affect the expression of pup USVs. We previously demonstrated that a maternal diet high in saturated fat (HFD) alters maternal behavior and is associated with early maturation of pups and their stress physiology. Here, we assessed the developmental profiles of pup USVs using quantitative and qualitative measures on postnatal days (PND)7 and 13. Quantitative measures included call counts, duration, and frequency, while qualitative measures examined calls' sonographic structures. HFD offspring lacked the typical decrease in USV numbers with age observed among control offspring. They also had shorter calls at PND7 compared to control and HFD offspring at PND13. HFD female offspring showed a greater number of one-frequency-sweep calls, while male pups showed a greater number of two-frequency-sweep calls compared to control offspring. Concomitantly, HFD dams showed impaired pup retrieval on PND7. The data suggest that fewer USVs of shorter duration in HFD offspring may alter dam solicitation and thus impair maternal pup retrieval. This study highlights the impacts of perinatal HFD exposure on the dyadic reciprocal interaction between dam and pups, which may set the stage for long-lasting effects on offspring physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameera Abuaish
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Emmanuel K Tse
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick O McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Prenatal vitamin D deficiency does not exacerbate behavioural impairments associated with prenatal ethanol exposure in juvenile male mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 356:127-136. [PMID: 30142394 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and exposure to low levels of ethanol in pregnant women. However, there are a paucity of studies that have addressed the impact of both vitamin D deficiency and ethanol exposure on the offspring's vulnerability to neurodevelopmental disorders later in life. The aim of this study was to examine whether the absence of vitamin D during gestation in mice would alter the effects of prenatal exposure to low dose ethanol on the behaviour and dopaminergic gene expression patterns of juvenile mice. Four-week old female C57BL/6J mice were placed on a prenatal vitamin D deficient (PVD) or standard diet for 6 weeks and mated at 10 weeks of age. Females were exposed to either 10%(v/v) ethanol or water between gestational days 0-8 and all were offered water thereafter. We found that blood ethanol concentration in the dams was not affected by maternal diet. Behavioural analyses of the offspring included ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) at postnatal day (P) 7, locomotion and social interaction at P21. The main findings were increased USV calling rate and impaired social interaction in males with prenatal ethanol exposure (PrEE). Gene expression analysis of transcripts involved in dopamine regulation revealed a main effect of ethanol exposure on dopamine- and cyclic adenosine monophosphate- regulated neuronal phosphoprotein (Darpp-32), a main effect of vitamin D diet on Dopamine 2 Receptors (D2R) and a main effect of Sex on Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) expression. The combination of PVD-PrEE did not exacerbate the alterations resulting from PVD or PrEE. Despite the limited evidence to support the interaction of PVD and PrEE during the postnatal period, males were more vulnerable than female offspring to the detrimental effects of PrEE. Therefore, based on these studies in mice we suggest that maintenance of optimal vitamin D levels and abstinence from ethanol during pregnancy would reduce risk of later disruption to brain function and behaviour in the offspring.
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Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in pups: A comparison between Long-Evans, Sprague-Dawley, and Wistar rats. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:534-543. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rainer K. W. Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology; Philipps-University of Marburg; Marburg Germany
- Marburg Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MCMBB); Marburg Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology; Philipps-University of Marburg; Marburg Germany
- Marburg Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MCMBB); Marburg Germany
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Infantile Vocalizations in Rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-809600-0.00012-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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10
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Maternal alterations induced by exposure to an unfamiliar home cage in early underfed dams. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 62:25-31. [PMID: 28760641 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of different behavioral components in the adult rat depends on a number of early influences, including age, hormones, manipulations of sensory cues, and perinatal undernutrition, all of which impact the development of brain areas underlying adaptive processes, maternal behavior, and the response to novelty. The current study investigates the effects of pre- and neonatal undernutrition on various components of maternal behavior of dams exposed to the challenge of an unfamiliar home cage on days 4, 8, and 12 of lactation. Food restriction was initiated from gestational day (G) G6 to G19 when dams received 50-70% of the normal balanced diet, followed by 100% from G20 to G21. After birth, pups were underfed by alternating every 12h between two lactating dams, one of which, had ligated nipples. Weaning was at 25days of age followed by an ad libitum diet until postpartum day 90, when females were mated, and subsequently tested for maternal behavior in an unfamiliar cage. The results indicated that in early underfed mothers the frequency of handling wood shavings and of, approaching, licking, crouching, and grasping pups for retrieval was significantly reduced. Moreover, self-grooming increased substantially in the underfed dams, but the frequency of rearing was reduced. Additionally, the body weight of pups nursed by early underfed dams was significantly lower than that of control pups. These findings suggest a relation between early food restriction and the deficient maternal care observed when these dams were challenged by exposure to an unfamiliar home cage.
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11
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Maternal dipyrone treatment during lactation in mice reduces maternal behavior and increases anxiety‐like behavior in offspring. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 58:74-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Pasch B, Abbasi MZ, Wilson M, Zhao D, Searle JB, Webster MS, Rice AN. Cross-fostering alters advertisement vocalizations of grasshopper mice (Onychomys): Evidence for the developmental stress hypothesis. Physiol Behav 2016; 157:265-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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13
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Increased ultrasonic vocalizations and risk-taking in rat pups of sleep-deprived dams. Physiol Behav 2015; 139:59-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Gulia KK, Patel N, Radhakrishnan A, Kumar VM. Reduction in ultrasonic vocalizations in pups born to rapid eye movement sleep restricted mothers in rat model. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84948. [PMID: 24454768 PMCID: PMC3890297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of rapid eye movement sleep restriction (REMSR) in rats during late pregnancy were studied on the ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) made by the pups. USVs are distress calls inaudible to human ears. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was restricted in one group of pregnant rats for 22 hours, starting from gestational day 14 to 20, using standard single platform method. The USVs of male pups were recorded after a brief isolation from their mother for two minutes on alternate post-natal days, from day one till weaning. The USVs were recorded using microphones and were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using SASPro software. Control pups produced maximum vocalization on post-natal days 9 to 11. In comparison, the pups born to REMSR mothers showed not only a reduction in vocalization but also a delay in peak call making days. The experimental group showed variations in the types and characteristics of call types, and alteration in temporal profile. The blunting of distress call making response in these pups indicates that maternal sleep plays a role in regulating the neural development involved in vocalizations and possibly in shaping the emotional behaviour in neonates. It is suggested that the reduced ultrasonic vocalizations can be utilized as a reliable early marker for affective state in rat pups. Such impaired vocalization responses could provide an important lead in understanding mother-child bonding for an optimal cognitive development during post-partum life. This is the first report showing a potential link between maternal REM sleep deprivation and the vocalization in neonates and infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamalesh K. Gulia
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Comprehensive Center for Sleep Disorders, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Niraj Patel
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Comprehensive Center for Sleep Disorders, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Arathi Radhakrishnan
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Comprehensive Center for Sleep Disorders, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Velayudhan Mohan Kumar
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Comprehensive Center for Sleep Disorders, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
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McMurray MS, Zeskind PS, Meiners SM, Garber KA, Tien H, Johns JM. Effect of prenatal cocaine on early postnatal thermoregulation and ultrasonic vocalization production. Front Psychol 2013; 4:882. [PMID: 24324452 PMCID: PMC3840503 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure can alter the postnatal care received by rat pups. Such effects could be caused in part by alterations in pup-produced stimuli that elicit early postnatal maternal care. Pup ultrasonic vocalizations are thought to be a particularly salient stimulus, and when paired with other cues, may elicit maternal attention. Cocaine is known to acutely alter thermoregulatory and cardiac function, thus prenatal cocaine may affect vocalizations through altering these functions. The data presented here determine the impact of full term prenatal cocaine exposure, saline exposure, or no exposure on thermogenic capacity, cardiac function, and the resulting ultrasonic vocalizations across the early postnatal period (days 1–5). Results indicated that while sharing many similar characteristics with saline-exposed and untreated animals, prenatal cocaine exposure was associated with specific alterations in vocalization characteristics on postnatal day 1 (PND 1), including call amplitude. Furthermore, numerous spectral parameters of their vocalizations were found altered on PND 3, including rate, call duration, and frequency, while no alterations were found on PND 5. Additionally, cocaine-exposed pups also showed a reduced thermoregulatory capacity compared to saline animals and reduced cardiac mass compared to untreated animals on PND 5. Together, these findings indicate that prenatal cocaine may be altering the elicitation of maternal care through its impact on vocalizations and thermoregulation, and suggests a potential mechanism for these effects through cocaine's impact on developing stress systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S McMurray
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL, USA
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Durán P, Miranda-Anaya M, de Jesús Romero-Sánchez M, Mondragón-Soto K, Granados-Rojas L, Cintra L. Time–place learning is altered by perinatal low-protein malnutrition in the adult rat. Nutr Neurosci 2013; 14:145-50. [DOI: 10.1179/147683011x13009738172567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Lopez-Jimenez D, Torrero C, Regalado M, Salas M. Effects of Perinatal Undernutrition and Massage Stimulation upon the Ambiguus Nucleus in the Rat Prior to Weaning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2013.32021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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18
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Baharnoori M, Bhardwaj SK, Srivastava LK. Neonatal behavioral changes in rats with gestational exposure to lipopolysaccharide: a prenatal infection model for developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Schizophr Bull 2012; 38:444-56. [PMID: 20805287 PMCID: PMC3329978 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbq098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal infections has been widely associated with the increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders of developmental origin such as schizophrenia and autism. Although several behavioral and cognitive deficits have been detected during adulthood in rodent models of prenatal infections, early behavioral changes have not been well characterized. In a prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) model, we have previously observed significant alterations in the neuronal cytoarchitecture during early postnatal life. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of prenatal immune activation on early neurophenotypic presentations using a set of behavioral test battery. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with 100 μg/kg LPS (intraperitoneally) at gestational days 15 and 16. During the first postnatal week, we found no significant effect on maternal behavior or mother-pup interaction by this treatment. Also, no major changes in physical developmental milestones of pups were noted from postnatal (P) days P6 to P16. Importantly, prenatal LPS-exposed pups had a significant decrease in the number and duration of ultrasonic vocalization calls at P3 and P5. Prenatal LPS treatment also led to impairments in nest-seeking behavior and odor-stroke associative learning in neonatal rats at P8 and P9. At the molecular level, we detected significant decrease in the expression of cortical 5HT1A and 5HT1B messenger RNA at P3. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to an immune activator can significantly impair the social/communicative behavior in the neonate offspring, which may be relevant to childhood and premorbid abnormalities reported in autism and schizophrenia subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lalit K. Srivastava
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +514-761-6131, fax: +514-762-3034, e-mail:
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Zeskind PS, McMurray MS, Garber KA, Neuspiel JM, Cox ET, Grewen KM, Mayes LC, Johns JM. Development of translational methods in spectral analysis of human infant crying and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations for early neurobehavioral assessment. Front Psychiatry 2011; 2:56. [PMID: 22028695 PMCID: PMC3199610 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe the development of translational methods by which spectrum analysis of human infant crying and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used to assess potentially adverse effects of various prenatal conditions on early neurobehavioral development. The study of human infant crying has resulted in a rich set of measures that has long been used to assess early neurobehavioral insult due to non-optimal prenatal environments, even among seemingly healthy newborn and young infants. In another domain of study, the analysis of rat put USVs has been conducted via paradigms that allow for better experimental control over correlated prenatal conditions that may confound findings and conclusions regarding the effects of specific prenatal experiences. The development of translational methods by which cry vocalizations of both species can be analyzed may provide the opportunity for findings from the two approaches of inquiry to inform one another through their respective strengths. To this end, we present an enhanced taxonomy of a novel set of common measures of cry vocalizations of both human infants and rat pups based on a conceptual framework that emphasizes infant crying as a graded and dynamic acoustic signal. This set includes latency to vocalization onset, duration and repetition rate of expiratory components, duration of inter-vocalization-intervals and spectral features of the sound, including the frequency and amplitude of the fundamental and dominant frequencies. We also present a new set of classifications of rat pup USV waveforms that include qualitative shifts in fundamental frequency, similar to the presence of qualitative shifts in fundamental frequency that have previously been related to insults to neurobehavioral integrity in human infants. Challenges to the development of translational analyses, including the use of different terminologies, methods of recording, and spectral analyses are discussed, as well as descriptions of automated processes, software solutions, and pitfalls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Sanford Zeskind
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical CenterCharlotte, NC, USA
| | - Matthew S. McMurray
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristin A. Garber
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical CenterCharlotte, NC, USA
| | - Juliana M. Neuspiel
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical CenterCharlotte, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth T. Cox
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Karen M. Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Linda C. Mayes
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Psychology, Yale Child Study Center, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Josephine M. Johns
- Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
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Hernandez CE, Harding JE, Oliver MH, Bloomfield FH, Held SD, Matthews LR. Effects of litter size, sex and periconceptional ewe nutrition on side preference and cognitive flexibility in the offspring. Behav Brain Res 2009; 204:82-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 05/11/2009] [Accepted: 05/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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22
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Hernandez CE, Matthews LR, Oliver MH, Bloomfield FH, Harding JE. Effects of sex, litter size and periconceptional ewe nutrition on the ewe–lamb bond. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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23
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Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress (PNS) has been shown to induce a set of psychological and behavioral changes in developing offspring. We used the rodent model to investigate whether PNS produces changes in the ability of the pup to express social motivation. We used a set of behavioral tasks including monitoring ultrasonic vocalizations after isolation, a conditioned place preference, and a novel and familiar odor approach test. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to an unpredictable, variable stressor twice daily during the third week of gestation. Isolation vocalizations were assessed on postnatal day (PND) 10. Pup affinity for the dam was evaluated on PND 15. Typically, pups display a selective preference for an odor-paired environment only after the odor has been associated with the dam. This previous association produces a positive conditioned stimulus (CS). Normally, pups exposed to a neutral CS (odor paired with cotton balls) do not form this place preference. Results indicate that PNS exposed pups had significantly increased distress vocalizations and an equal preference for the positive and neutral conditioned stimuli. This type of alteration in forming early preferences could be detrimental because of decreases in the specificity of social learning and an impaired responsiveness in social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley M Harmon
- Department of Psychology and JP Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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24
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Ultrasonic vocalisations of kits during maternal kit-retrieval in farmed mink, Mustela vison. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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26
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Wöhr M, Dahlhoff M, Wolf E, Holsboer F, Schwarting RKW, Wotjak CT. Effects of Genetic Background, Gender, and Early Environmental Factors on Isolation-Induced Ultrasonic Calling in Mouse Pups: An Embryo-Transfer Study. Behav Genet 2008; 38:579-95. [DOI: 10.1007/s10519-008-9221-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/29/2008] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Scattoni ML, Crawley J, Ricceri L. Ultrasonic vocalizations: a tool for behavioural phenotyping of mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2008; 33:508-15. [PMID: 18771687 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2008] [Revised: 07/30/2008] [Accepted: 08/07/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In neonatal mice ultrasonic vocalizations have been studied both as an early communicative behaviour of the pup-mother dyad and as a sign of an aversive affective state. Adult mice of both sexes produce complex ultrasonic vocalization patterns in different experimental/social contexts. Vocalizations are becoming an increasingly valuable assay for behavioural phenotyping throughout the mouse life-span and alterations of the ultrasound patterns have been reported in several mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we also show that the modulation of vocalizations by maternal cues (maternal potentiation paradigm) - originally identified and investigated in rats - can be measured in C57BL/6 mouse pups with appropriate modifications of the rat protocol and can likely be applied to mouse behavioural phenotyping. In addition we suggest that a detailed qualitative evaluation of neonatal calls together with analysis of adult mouse vocalization patterns in both sexes in social settings, may lead to a greater understanding of the communication value of vocalizations in mice. Importantly, both neonatal and adult USV altered patterns can be determined during the behavioural phenotyping of mouse models of human neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, starting from those in which deficits in communication are a primary symptom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Section of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Department of Cell Biology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161 Rome, Italy
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Tonkiss J, Galler J. Prenatal malnutrition alters diazepam-mediated suppression of ultrasonic vocalizations in an age dependent manner. Behav Brain Res 2006; 182:337-43. [PMID: 17147960 PMCID: PMC1975860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2006] [Revised: 10/20/2006] [Accepted: 11/14/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The sensitivity of prenatally malnourished rats to the ultrasonic vocalization (USV) suppressant effect of diazepam (a non-specific benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor agonist) was investigated. Male offspring of dams provided with a protein deficient diet (6% casein) for 5 weeks prior to mating and throughout pregnancy were compared to the offspring of mothers provided with a diet of adequate protein content (25% casein). At postnatal day 7 or 11, pups were injected with vehicle or one of five doses of DZ (0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1 or 3mg/kg) 30 min after removal from their dam. Thirty minutes later they were subjected to 2 min of cooling on a 20 degrees C surface and their USVs were quantified. DZ dose-dependently suppressed USV at both ages. At P7, the USV suppressant effect of DZ was the same for both groups. However, by P11 the prenatally malnourished rats showed significantly greater suppression of USV by 0.03 and 0.1mg/kg DZ than well-nourished controls. These differences were not related to degree of temperature loss or body weight. Thus, differential sensitivity to BZ receptor agonists develops in the second postnatal week in prenatally malnourished rats. This reflects either an altered program of development of the GABAergic system, or adaptive, compensatory changes in the GABAergic system in response to more extensive functional disturbances in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tonkiss
- Center for Behavioral Development & Mental Retardation, M923, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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29
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Soriano O, Regalado M, Torrero C, Salas M. Contributions of undernutrition and handling to huddling development of rats. Physiol Behav 2006; 89:543-51. [PMID: 16950458 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2005] [Revised: 06/19/2006] [Accepted: 07/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
When newborn rats are separated from the mother, they consistently exhibit the huddling response to maintain body temperature and physical contact. Therefore, we investigated if preweaning handling/sensory stimulation may overcome the huddling deficiencies associated to neonatal undernourishment/maternal deprivation of Wistar rats maintained at constant temperature (30 degrees C). The data indicated that initial and final temperatures in the pile of undernourished (U) and undernourished stimulated (Us) pups was reduced compared to their controls (C and Cs, respectively). Huddling latency was prolonged at 5 days of age in the Us group and at 20 days of age in the U pups. On postpartum day 5, U and Us subjects were similar in battery and pile-huddling performance compared to their controls; thereafter, the frequency of battery type was low and pile type was high (in frequency) in all experimental treatments. The frequency of recycling from the pile in the Us pups in most of the ages was significantly reduced compared to U and C subjects, suggesting that early sensory stimulation possibly accelerates the maturation of thermoregulatory brain structures underlying the huddling response and causing increased physical contacts. The data provide evidence that both neonatal undernutrition/maternal deprivation and early sensory stimulation may modify the huddling response by reducing or increasing, respectively, brain mechanisms underlying huddling. The amount of physical contact the newborns receive from their littermates and the mother may be a fundamental source of sensory cues for neuronal maturation and brain functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofelia Soriano
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Neurobiology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, PO Box 1-1141, Campus Juriquilla Querétaro, Qro., 76001, México
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30
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Frias C, Torrero C, Regalado M, Salas M. Organization of olfactory glomeruli in neonatally undernourished rats. Nutr Neurosci 2006; 9:49-55. [PMID: 16910170 DOI: 10.1080/10284150500506042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Newborn rats maintain mother-litter bonds by using olfactory signals. At birth, units in the olfactory glomeruli (OG) are immature and vulnerable to noxious epigenetic factors like undernutrition. Because little is known about the effects of neonatal undernutrition upon the OG morphological organization, different OG parameters were studied in undernourished Wistar rats at 7, 14 and 21 days of age. The issue was addressed by analyzing the olfactory bulb (OB) cross sectional area, the total number and area of OGs in the OB coronal sections, and the distribution of OG area in dorsal and ventral quadrants. Reductions in the OB and OG cross sectional areas were detected at 7 and 14 days posnatally. OG area comparisons by OB quadrants were reduced along the study in quadrants, with larger effects in medial than in lateral OB quadrants. Current OG cytoarchitectonic modifications may affect the newborn capabilities for odour discrimination by disrupting early mother-litter interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Frias
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.
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Barron S, Gilbertson R. Neonatal ethanol exposure but not neonatal cocaine selectively reduces specific isolation-induced vocalization waveforms in rats. Behav Genet 2005; 35:93-102. [PMID: 15674536 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-004-0859-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to examine the interaction of neonatal ethanol and cocaine exposure on isolation induced ultrasonic vocalizations using an oral gavage method of drug administration. There were 5 neonatal treatment groups including 3.0 g/kg ethanol, 20 mg/kg cocaine, both 3.0 g/kg ethanol and 20 mg/kg cocaine, an intubated control and a nonintubated control. Drug was administered twice daily from postnatal days (PND) 4 - 10. On PND 14, subjects were tested for a 6 min test to assess the rate and type of ultrasonic vocalizations displayed. As previously reported using an intragastric "artificial rearing" administration procedure, pups exposed to ethanol displayed reductions in the number of ultrasonic vocalizations across the test session. Pups exposed to both drugs showed similar deficits to those pups receiving ethanol alone. In contrast, cocaine had no effect on this outcome measure. Sonographic analysis of the vocalizations revealed that ethanol's effects appeared to be selective to certain waveforms rather than a general reduction across all wave types and again, cocaine had no impact on the proportion of the various wave types. These findings provide further support that neonatal ethanol exposure can have significant effects on maternal/infant communication and may play a role in many of the long-term effects associated with ethanol exposure during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Barron
- Psychology Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.
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32
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King RS, DeBassio WA, Kemper TL, Rosene DL, Tonkiss J, Galler JR, Blatt GJ. Effects of prenatal protein malnutrition and acute postnatal stress on granule cell genesis in the fascia dentata of neonatal and juvenile rats. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 2004; 150:9-15. [PMID: 15126033 DOI: 10.1016/j.devbrainres.2004.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Although postnatal genesis of granule cells in the hippocampal fascia dentata is known to be influenced by prenatal protein deprivation or by stress, the combined effects of prenatal protein malnutrition and stress on these cells are unknown. This study was designed to examine this combined effect. Well-nourished and prenatally malnourished pups on postnatal day 7 (P7) were stressed by maternal separation and reduction of body temperature and on postnatal day 30 (P30) by immobilization with restraint. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrDU) was injected at the time of stress, and 2 h later, the numbers of immunolabeled cells were quantified by standard stereological techniques. In comparison to controls, prenatally malnourished rats showed a significantly lower number of cells tagged in the fascia dentata on P7 (p < or =0.05), and a significantly higher number of cells (p < or =0.05) on P30. In both age groups, control rats exposed to acute stress showed a significantly decreased number of cells tagged in the fascia dentata (p < or =0.05). In contrast, neurogenesis in malnourished rats was not significantly affected by acute stress at either age. Thus, the pattern of neurogenesis in the fascia dentata and its response to stress has been fundamentally altered by prenatal protein deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond S King
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 80 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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