新生期触觉刺激和母婴分离对雌性大鼠成年后的焦虑和情绪记忆的影响

采用split-litter法对仔鼠进行分组和处理,共5组NTS组(未经实验人员抓握和标记),PND2—9TS组和PND10—17TS组(分别在仔鼠出生后的2—9天、10—17天,每天短暂抓握和标记仔鼠),PND2—9MS组和PND10—17MS组(分别在仔鼠出生后的2—9天、10—17天,除了按TS组相同方式抓握并在不同部位标记外,每天把仔鼠与母鼠分离1h)。待雌鼠成年后,进行明/暗箱测试和一次性被动回避反应测试。结果发现与NTS组相比,PND2—9TS组和PND10—17TS组的雌鼠在明/暗箱测试中停留于明室的累计时间明显较长,在被动回避作业中的重测试潜伏期也明显较长,表明新生期的触觉刺激经历减少雌性大鼠成年后在新异环境中的焦虑,并改善情绪记忆。与相应TS组相比,MS处理组的所有行为指标都无显著性差异,说明短时间母婴分离对雌鼠成年后的焦虑和情绪记忆无明显影响。结果提示,新生期的触觉刺激和母婴分离经历对仔鼠神经系统的发育产生不同的长期效应。

Effects of Neonatal Tactile Stimulation and Maternal Separation on the Anxiety and the Emotional Memory in Adult Female Rats

We investigated the long-lasting effects of early postnatal tactile stimulation (TS) and maternal separation (MS) on the emotional behaviors of adult female rats. A split-litter design was introduced to remove confusing factors such as maternal disturbance. Pups of the non-tactile stimulation (NTS) group did not receive any handling. Pups subjected to the TS treatment were handled and marked for approximately 30 s daily from postnatal days (PND) 2-9 or from PND 10-17. Pups subjected to the MS treatment were handled and marked in the same way as the TS pups and then individually placed in a cup with familiar nest bedding for 1 h daily. At the age of 3 months,female rats with different neonatal experiences were employed in the light/dark box test and the one-trial passive avoidance response. Both PND 2-9 TS and PND 10-17 TS groups exhibited more time spent in the illuminated chamber of the light/dark box,and longer step-through latencies in the passive avoidance response when compared to the NTS group,indicating that early life TS treatment reduced novelty-induced anxious emotion and facilitated the retention of emotional memory in adult female rats. No significant effects were found on any behavioral measures between the MS groups and the TS groups,suggesting that neonatal short-time MS treatment was not intensive enough to alter the emotional behaviors,at least in female rats. Infantile age was not an effective factor for these measures. This result supports the hypothesis that neonatal tactile stimulation and maternal separation lead to different effects on the neural development of postnatal pups.