Project description:PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO CORTICOSTEROIDS: HYPOTHALAMIC CHANGES RELEVANT FOR POSTNATAL BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENTS
| PRJNA192423 | ENA
Project description:Comparison of small RNA-seq and microarray analysis for determining the effects of acute prenatal ethanol exposure on microRNA expression and its amelioration by environmental manipulation
Project description:Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy results in a spectrum of lifelong behavioral and cognitive deficits collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD is a major health burden in most societies, there is no cure, and the molecular mechanism involved in its development is poorly understood. Human neurodevelopment is a continuum that extends over two decades after birth, with the potential to influence outcomes both prenatally and postnatally. Here, we experimentally investigate if positive postnatal environment enrichment ameliorates behavioral deficits caused by ethanol exposure. Furthermore, we assessed if this modulation is associated with alterations in hippocampal gene expression. To accomplish this, we used a binge model of ethanol exposure followed by environmental enrichment in C57BL/6 mice to generate four groups of animals: (1) control mice raised in standard conditions, (2) mice raised in enriched environments, (3) ethanol-exposed mice raised in standard conditions, and (4) ethanol-exposed mice raised in enriched environments. The environmental enrichment includes larger home cages with more individuals for social interaction, regular exposure to novel items, and access to running wheels. Ethanol exposure results in anxiety-like behavior (light-dark box) as well as learning and memory deficits (Barnes maze) that are at least partially ameliorated by enrichment. Environmental enrichment also improves performance for individuals not exposed to ethanol. Ethanol exposure induces changes in adult hippocampal gene expression (RNA-Seq). Some of the changes in adult hippocampal gene expression following ethanol exposure are reversed by environmental enrichment. The results offer a potential mechanism of behavioral deficits caused by ethanol exposure, including the potential for amelioration after an FASD diagnosis.
Project description:Few studies have assessed the patterns of parasite populations of rodents over a longitudinal gradient in Chile. In this work, the gastrointestinal helminthic fauna of invasive rodents in Chile was examined to assess the association between their presence/absence and abundance with latitude, host sex, and host body condition, and to assess the coexistence and correlation of the abundance between parasite species. Rodents were obtained from 20 localities between 33 and 43°S. Helminths were extracted from the gastrointestinal tract and identified morphologically. Overall, 13 helminth taxa were obtained. The most frequently identified parasite species was Heterakis spumosa, and the most abundant was Syphacia muris, while Physaloptera sp. was the most widely distributed. No locality presented with a coexistence that was different from that expected by chance, while the abundance of five helminthic species correlated with the abundance of another in at least one locality, most likely due to co-infection rather than interaction. Host sex was associated with parasite presence or abundance, and female sex-biased parasitism was notably observed in all cases. Body condition and latitude presented either a positive or negative association with the presence or abundance of parasites depending on the species. It is notable that the likely native Physaloptera sp. is widely distributed among invasive rodents. Further, gravid females were found, suggesting spillback of this species to the native fauna. The low frequency and abundance of highly zoonotic hymenolepid species suggest that rodents are of low concern regarding gastrointestinal zoonotic helminths.
Project description:The study determined whether there were gender differences in the <br>expression of hippocampal genes in adult rats in association with dissimilarity <br>in their behavior, and how these were affected by prenatal stress. Pregnant <br>Wistar rats were subjected to varied stress once daily on days 14-20 of <br>gestation.<br>