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Gestational Stress Promotes Pathological Apneas and Sex-Specific Disruption of Respiratory Control Development in Newborn Rat
- Source :
- The Journal of Neuroscience. 33:563-573
- Publication Year :
- 2013
- Publisher :
- Society for Neuroscience, 2013.
-
Abstract
- Recurrent apneas are important causes of hospitalization and morbidity in newborns. Gestational stress (GS) compromises fetal brain development. Maternal stress and anxiety during gestation are linked to respiratory disorders in newborns; however, the mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that repeated activation of the neuroendocrine response to stress during gestation is sufficient to disrupt the development of respiratory control and augment the occurrence of apneas in newborn rats. Pregnant dams were displaced and exposed to predator odor from days 9 to 19 of gestation. Control dams were undisturbed. Experiments were performed on male and female rats aged between 0 and 4 d old. Apnea frequency decreased with age but was consistently higher in stressed pups than controls. At day 4, GS augmented the proportion of apneas with O2desaturations by 12%. During acute hypoxia (12% O2), the reflexive increase in breathing augmented with age; however, this response was lower in stressed pups. Instability of respiratory rhythm recorded from medullary preparations decreased with age but was higher in stressed pups than controls. GS reduced medullary serotonin (5-HT) levels in newborn pups by 32%. Bath application of 5-HT and injection of 8-OH-DPAT [(±)-8-hydroxy-2-di-(n-propylamino) tetralin hydrobromide; 5-HT1Aagonist;in vivo] reduced respiratory instability and apneas; these effects were greater in stressed pups than controls. Sex-specific effects were observed. We conclude that activation of the stress response during gestation is sufficient to disrupt respiratory control development and promote pathological apneas in newborn rats. A deficit in medullary 5-HT contributes to these effects.
- Subjects :
- Male
Agonist
Serotonin
medicine.medical_specialty
Apnea
medicine.drug_class
Hypercapnia
Oxygen Consumption
Pregnancy
Internal medicine
medicine
Animals
Plethysmograph
Testosterone
Respiratory system
Hypoxia
8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin
Sex Characteristics
business.industry
General Neuroscience
Articles
medicine.disease
Rats
Serotonin Receptor Agonists
Plethysmography
Endocrinology
Animals, Newborn
Respiratory Mechanics
Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
Breathing
Pregnancy, Animal
Gestation
Female
medicine.symptom
Corticosterone
business
Stress, Psychological
Serotonergic Neurons
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15292401 and 02706474
- Volume :
- 33
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of Neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....05576d17e0790db467b2d730209e6515