Neonatal handling reduces the number of cells in the locus coeruleus of rats.
- 1 January 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Behavioral Neuroscience
- Vol. 117 (5) , 894-903
- https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.117.5.894
Abstract
Neonatal handling induces long-lasting effects on behaviors and stress responses. The objective of the present study was to analyze the effects of neonatal handling (from the 1st to the 10th day after delivery) on the number of cells and volume of locus coeruleus (LC) nucleus in male and female rats at 4 different ages: 11, 26, 35, and 90 days. Results showed significant reductions in the number of cells and the volume of the LC nucleus in neonatally handled males and females compared with nonhandled rats. Environmental stimulation early in life induced a stable structural change in a central noradrenergic nucleus, which could be one of the causal factors for the behavioral and hormonal alterations observed in adulthood.Keywords
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