Md. Sanchez et al., THE BETA-ENDORPHIN RESPONSE TO PRENATAL STRESS DURING POSTNATAL-DEVELOPMENT IN THE RAT, Developmental brain research, 74(1), 1993, pp. 142-145
We examined the hypothalamic beta-endorphin (B-END) levels in offsprin
g (postnatal day 10) from stressed female rats in different period of
gestation: group 1, restraint stress from day 2 to 6; group 2, from da
y 7 to 11 and group 3, from day 2 to 16. The hypothalamic levels of B-
END in the offspring from group 1 were significantly (P < 0.001) highe
r to that obtained in the control. Similar results were obtained in th
e group 2. However, in rat pups from female stressed during 15 days of
gestation hypothalamic levels of B-END were similar to control group.