PERMANENT DOPAMINERGIC ALTERATIONS IN THE NUCLEUS-ACCUMBENS AFTER PRENATAL STRESS

It has been suggested that stress during the initial stages of human l ife may serve as a predisposing factor to mental illness. Recently, we reported that in pregnant rats, stress induces an increase of behavio ral depression in the female offsprings when adult. This article descr ibes the effect of prenatal stress on central dopaminergic transmissio n during adulthood. The offspring of stressed mothers showed an increa se of behavioral depression in the Porsolt test and reduction of DOPAC , HVA, and DOPAC/DA index in the n. accumbens. The effect on the right accumbens was more marked than on the left. A great body of informati on exists to suggest that depression is related to a decrease of dopam inergic neurotransmission, and the present data provide new evidence i n support of the hypothesis that maternal stress during gestation incr eases the risk of depression in the offspring. We are also reporting a hitherto uncommented relationship between behavioral depression in th e Porsolt test and the decrease of dopamine transmission in the n. acc umbens.