PRENATAL STRESS ATTENUATES ULCERATION IN THE ACTIVITY STRESS PARADIGM

In the present study, 28 pregnant rats were subjected to either light- restraint stress or no manipulation for days 14-21 of the gestational period. At approx. 50 days of age, both male (n = 16) and female (n = 16) prenatally stressed (PS) and control offspring were subjected to t he activity stress (AS) paradigm. During this subsequent stress experi ence, PS rats developed less ulceration than control rats. PS rats als o displayed about half the activity of the control animals during the habituation phase of the AS paradigm, prior to the induction of stress . Given this decrease in baseline activity in PS animals, implications of using activity as a measure of emotionality in PS animals are disc ussed. Several sex differences were also observed; females differed fr om males in that they 1) exhibited higher activity levels in both the habituation and experimental phases of the AS procedure, 2) developed heavier relative adrenal weights, and 3) reached criteria for sacrific e in fewer days.