Developmental effects of chronic maternal audiovisual stress on the rat fetus

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pregnant Sprague-Dawley albino rats were subjected to controlled audiovisual stress throughout pregnancy. The total effective stress duration amounted to 10 % (6 min) of every hour of the entire day. Total litter resorption occurred in 40 and 50 % of the pregnancies in the young and older females respectively. Litter size was reduced by an average of two fetuses per litter in both age-groups. Visible resorptions per litter were markedly increased in the young females and slightly reduced in the older females. Developmental abnormalities produced included interparietal meningocele, abdominal hernia (omphalocele), spina bifida, and defects of the eye, tail, hind- and forefoot. Hematomas, varying in size and location, were found throughout the cranial area. Localized hematomas were found in the sublingual areas. Osteogenic effects, ranging from partial to complete inhibition, were widespread. There was a marked increase in number and degree of hypo- and hyperdeveloped fetuses over the control rate. Total number of fetuses manifesting some type of developmental deviation amounted to 25 % of the experimental groups and 0-8 % of the control groups. Effects of the audiovisual stress on the maternal organism included slight body-weight loss in both young and older females, decrease in the weight of the adrenals, kidneys, and hearts of the younger females, and increase in organ weight, especially the heart, in the older females. The etiological factors postulated to be responsible for the fetal results are (1) decreased uterine and fetal organ blood flow, and (2) imbalance of the maternal autonomic neurohormone and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal relationships.