Transgenerational programming of brain and behaviour by prenatal stress
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Date
2013
Authors
Ambeskovic, Mirela
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, c2013
Abstract
Exposure to adverse environmental factors such as prenatal stress (PS) can have longlasting
effects on brain health and disease. Through direct and transgenerational genetic and
epigenetic influences on healthy development and aging, PS may promote adaptive
developmental plasticity, but at the same time also lead to increased health risks. Ultimately,
the main goal of this research was to determine if PS-associated alterations of the fetal
developmental programing can be transmitted across generations to affect brain development
and behaviour, and ultimately increase the susceptibility to disease throughout lifespan. Work
in Chapter 2 showed sexually dimorphic effects of multigenerational prenatal stress on
behavioural traits, laterality and hemispheric dominance in male and female rats. In Chapter 3,
hair elementary analysis was shown to be a sensitive, comprehensive and accurate screening
tool of age-related metabolic and overall health status. Chapter 4 determined the manifestations
of PS on behavioural and physiological outcomes in aging male rats after exposure to PS in one
generation (F1-PS) vs. multiple generations (F4-PS). These results provide evidence that PSassociated
alterations of the fetal developmental programming may be transmitted across
regenerations altering brain development and inducing behavioural disturbances throughout
lifespan.
Description
xii, 105 leaves ; 29 cm
Keywords
Brain -- Effect of stress on , Prenatal influences , Stress (Physiology) , Rats -- Behavior , Dissertations, Academic