Long-term gender-specific effects of manipulation during pregnancy on immune and endocrine responsiveness in rat offspring

Journal of Neuroimmunology
J M BakkerE P van Rees

Abstract

Exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) or other stimuli around birth may affect neuroendocrine and immune responsiveness in the offspring. Experiments were conducted to investigate whether maternal manipulation with saline or with GCs alters the corticosterone (CORT) response to a mild stressor in the offspring, and whether maternal manipulation results in long-term altered in vivo humoral and cellular immune responsiveness in the offspring. Pregnant rats were given dexamethasone (DEX, 1.2 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) or saline (SAL) at day 17 and 19 of gestation. A third group of pregnant rats was left undisturbed (UNTR-group). After maternal DEX treatment, no altered CORT response was seen to a novel environment at 20 days of age, as compared to both the SAL-treated group and the UNTR-group. However, saline administration to pregnant rats caused an increased CORT response in female offspring, but not male offspring, as compared to the UNTR-group (P < or = 0.01). Furthermore, no effects of maternal DEX exposure were seen on IgG2a production after immunization with a conjugated pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS-14-CRM197) at 6 weeks of age. However, maternal SAL treatment enhanced anti-PPS-14 IgG2a antibody levels in female off...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 24, 2005·Anatomy and Embryology·Milica Manojlović StojanoskiMilka Sekulić
May 15, 2002·Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology·M TuchschererA Tuchscherer
Jan 24, 2007·Psychoneuroendocrinology·Christel C A Vanbesien-MailliotStefania Maccari
Jan 15, 2014·Stress : the International Journal on the Biology of Stress·Franz VeruSuzanne King
Jan 4, 2003·Hypertension·Imran Y KhanLucilla Poston
Oct 8, 2005·Neuroendocrinology·Evelise S M FonsecaJoão Palermo Neto
May 1, 2009·Journal of Immunotoxicology·Denise L BellingerDianne Lorton
Nov 11, 2019·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Ying Sze, Paula J Brunton
Oct 6, 1998·Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. Supplement·M D Lockshin

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