Contextual Fear Conditioning in Maternal Separated Rats: The Amygdala as a Site for Alterations.

DIEHL LA; PEREIRA NDE S; LAUREANO DP; BENITZ AN; NOSCHANG C; FERREIRA AG,; SCHERER EB, ; MACHADO FR, ; HENRIQUES TP, ; WYSE AT, ; MOLINA VICTOR ALEJANDRO; DALMAZ C.

SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS

Lugar: New York; Año: 2014 vol. 39 p. 384 - 384

he first 2 weeks of life are a critical period for neural development in rats. Repeated long-term separation from the dam is considered to be one of the most potent stressors to which rat pups can be exposed, and permanently modifies neurobiological and behavioral parameters. Prolonged periods of maternal separation (MS) usually increase stress reactivity during adulthood, and enhance anxiety-like behavior. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of maternal separation during the neonatal period on memory as well as on biochemical parameters (Na+, K+-ATPase and antioxidant enzymes activities) in the amygdala of adult rats. Females and male Wistar rats were subjected to repeated maternal separation (incubator at 32 C, 3 h/day) during postnatal days 1-10. At 60 days of age, the subjects were exposed to a Contextual fear conditioning task. One week after the behavioral task, animals were sacrificed and the amygdala was dissected for evaluation of Na+, K+-ATPase and antioxidant en