Many studies in recent years have shown that severe and prolonged stress can cause or contribute to the incidence of different diseases. During the prenatal period neuronal system is developing very intensively and is therefore very vulnerable to external influences. When the stress hormones (glucocorticoids) from mother reach the excessive amount, they can cross the placenta and enter fetuses blood flow. These glucocorticoids have the ability to "reprogram" fetal nervous system, therefore changing its normal development. Very common target of maternal glucocorticoids is fetal neuro-endocrine axis between hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland (HPA axis). Changes in the amount of receptors or hormones in this axis can produce long term consequences in animal behavior. In our experiment, we exposed pregnant mice to stress and then test their male offspring for sexual and aggressive behavior. Pregnant mice were exposed to stress as syringe injection on different days of pregnancy. Mice were divided into three groups, regardingtime of stress. The first group of pregnant mice was injected on days 13., 14. and 15. PC (post conception), the second group was injected on days 17. and 18. PC and the third group was injected daily from days 13. to 18. PC. Male offspring that were exposed to stress on days 13.-18. and 17.-18., were less aggressive and had lower testosterone levels in blood in comparison to the control group. In male sexual behavior there were no statistically significant differences between groups. After behavioral testing, brains were processed for immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against vasopressin (AVP) and calbindin (Calb). Expression of AVP and calbindin in lateral septum and preoptic area, respectively, did not differ between groups, suggesting that these two masculinization markers were not affected by prenatal stress.
D.11 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 8810617Studies have shown that there exists a connection between stress and development of different physical and mental pathologies. Especially the prenatal stress plays an important role. Conclusions of various studies have shown that prenatal stress affects perinatal period (lower birth weight and size, premature birth) and also development later in life. The purpose of our thesis was to determine if there exist differences between participants that were exposed to War for Slovenia (born between 30. 6. 1991 and 8. 3. 1992) and two control groups that were born before war and conceived after. We examined the differences in affective temperament, aggressive behaviour, premature birth, addiction to psychoactive substances, sexual behaviour, body mass index and problems with weight maintenance. In analysis we also included differences between trimesters and interaction between gender and group. There were 773 participants included that were students of three Slovenian Universities. For research we used an introduction questionnaire, the TEMPS-A questionnaire for affective temperament and Buss and Perry's Aggression Questionnaire. Results have shown that participants who were exposed to prenatal stress have more expressed anxious temperament. Further analysis have also revealed that male participants have more expressed general aggression, while female participants have less expressed anger in comparison to control groups, whereas women that were exposed to prenatal stress in third trimester had more expressed anger in comparison to all other groups. For both gender we also established that their first sexual intercourse was earlier in comparison to control groups. No other statistically significant differences were found. Our findings so far indicate that prenatal stress has more effect on psychological than physiological functioning of an individual and that a critical window for development of abnormalities could be the first and third trimester of pregnancy. All things considered there seem to be tendencies for differences between groups which should be examined further, including physiological research.
D.11 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 22050056