Exposure to the psychedelic substance 25 H-NBOMe disrupts maternal care in lactating rats and subsequently impairs the social play behavior of the offspring.

Given the critical role of maternal care in the neurodevelopment of offspring, this study aimed to investigate the effects of the psychedelic substance 25 H-NBOMe on maternal behavior in lactating rats and its subsequent impact on the social and neurodevelopmental behavior of the offspring. We administered two different dosages of 25 H-NBOMe (0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg; i,p,) to lactating rats and observed changes in maternal behaviors, such as nest-building and pup retrieval, and in offspring behaviors, including social play. Behavioral assessments were complemented by physiological measurements to rule out general health or nutritional decline. 25 H-NBOMe significantly disrupted maternal behaviors, including nest-building and pup retrieval, without affecting the weight of dams or offspring. Offspring of exposed dams exhibited reduced social play behavior. Higher doses led to more pronounced disruptions, while lower doses, despite not visibly affecting maternal behavior, still impacted offspring behavior, suggesting potential direct effects of 25 H-NBOMe. The study highlights the potential risks associated with the use of 25 H-NBOMe during lactation, emphasizing its detrimental impact on maternal care and offspring development. These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological effects of psychedelic substances during critical developmental periods and underscore the importance of avoiding their use.

Influence of maternal immune activation on autism-like symptoms and coping strategies in male offspring.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) caused by exposure to pathogens or inflammation during critical periods of gestation increased susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, in the offspring. In the present work, we aimed to provide characterization of the long-term consequences on anxiety-like behavior and cardiovascular stress response of MIA in the offspring. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MIA by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adult male offspring. In our study, the animals were subjected to a range of behavioral and physiological tests, including the elevated plus maze, social interaction, cat odor response, open field behavior, contextual fear conditioning, and cardiovascular responses during restraint stress. In the offspring of MIA, our study unveiled distinct anxious behaviors. This was evident by fewer entries into the open arms of the maze, diminished anti-thigmotaxis in the open field, and a decrease in social interaction time. Moreover, these rats showed heightened sensitivity to cat odor, exhibited prolonged freezing during fear conditioning, and presented elevated 22 Hz ultrasonic vocalizations. Notably, during restraint stress, these animals manifested an augmented blood pressure response, and this was associated with an increase in c-fos expression in the locus coeruleus compared to the control group. These findings collectively underline the extensive behavioral and physiological alterations stemming from MIA. This study deepens our understanding of the significance of maternal health in predisposing offspring to neurobehavioral deficits and psychiatric disorders.