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Maternal care evaluation and effecta of the physical development, reproductive functions and hormonal profile of UChA UChB rats female offspring (10% v/v ethanol voluntary intake)

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Author(s):
João Paulo de Arruda Amorim
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: Campinas, SP.
Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Francisco Eduardo Martinez; Tânia Mara Segatelli; Fernanda Cristina Alcântara dos Santos; Wagner José Fávaro; Wellerson Rodrigo Scarano
Advisor: Francisco Eduardo Martinez; Wílson de Mello Junior
Abstract

Studies focused on drug-dependent mothers (mainly ethanol-dependent mothers) have demonstrated that there is an enormous difference in the care of their children compared to non-dependent mothers, showing an disorder in maternal behavior during the postnatal period, which corresponds to the period where the first social bonds are formed and the animal's organism is very sensible to the effects of environmental stimuli. Various studies have documented the consequences of ethanol use during pregnancy for the health of the infant, but little attention has been given to the mother-child relationship in alcoholic female during the postnatal period and the consequences of this relationship to female offspring in adulthood. The aim of the present work is to evaluate maternal care in ethanol-preferring rats (UChA and UChB) and its effects on physical development, in sexual function and in status hormones in female offspring. The behavior was evaluated by observing the following parameters: carry, licking/grooming, arched-back nursing and licking/grooming, arched-back nursing, passive nursing, contact and not with the pups. The evaluation of the physical development of the female offspring considered the day of birth of hair, eye opening and detached ears. To evaluate the early sexual development were analyzed days of vaginal opening and age of first and second estrous. The reproductive function was evaluated by the regularity of the estrous cycle, the expression of receptors AR, ER-? and ER-? in the ovary and the hormonal status of female offspring (plasma levels of FSH, LH, 17?-estradiol, progesterone and corticosterone). UChA mothers showed higher frequencies of carrying, licking/grooming and nursing the pups. Mothers high care evidencing the highest plasma corticosterone levels and 17?-estradiol. The UChA offspring showed greater body weight gain, accelerated eye opening, vaginal opening, the installation and synchronization of estrous cycle. The female offspring who received low maternal care (UChB) showed an increase of the estrous cycle, concentrations of corticosterone and 17?-estradiol and ovarian receptors (ER-? and ER-?, higher ovarian weight and increased number of primordial, antral and mature follicles and higher Immunoreactivity for Ki-67 in the ovarian follicles. We conclude that UChB rats show marked variations in maternal care, being classified as low maternal care and the variation of maternal care directly affects the physical, the installation of puberty, hormone levels, deregulate the estrous cycle and folliculogenesis and differentially regulates the expression of receptors ER-? and ER-? in the ovaries of adult rats (AU)