Induction of a hyperanxious state by antenatal dexamethasone: a case for less detrimental natural corticosteroids.
Biol Psychiatry
; 59(9): 844-52, 2006 May 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16197924
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Synthetic glucocorticoids are commonly prescribed during pregnancy, despite a lack of systematic investigations of their potential impact on the developing brain and neurological and behavioral performance.METHODS:
Neuroendocrine parameters and behavior in the adult offspring of pregnant Wistar rats treated antenatally with either dexamethasone (DEX) or corticosterone (CORT) were monitored; DEX (.1 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg) and CORT (25 mg/kg) were given to pregnant rat dams on gestation days 18 and 19.RESULTS:
Despite normal basal levels of corticosterone, the adult offspring of mothers given DEX or CORT displayed abnormal responses in the dexamethasone-suppression test. Neither treatment influenced spatial memory performance, but both DEX and CORT facilitated development of depression-like behavior following chronic stress. The latter finding demonstrates that high-dose antenatal corticotherapy can impair the organism's resilience to stress in adulthood. Interestingly, comparison of the progeny of CORT-treated and DEX-treated mothers revealed that the latter were more anxious.CONCLUSIONS:
Since DEX and CORT differ in their affinity for glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors and corticosteroid-binding globulin, our findings emphasize the need to consider the pharmacologic properties of antenatal corticotherapies and demonstrate the potential long-term benefits of ligands that can bind to both receptors.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtornos de Ansiedade
/
Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal
/
Dexametasona
/
Corticosteroides
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
/
Pregnancy
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Psychiatry
Ano de publicação:
2006
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Portugal