Efeitos Transgeracionais da Administração Pré-natal de Lipopolissacarídeo (LSP) no Comportamento Maternal da Prole de Ratas

Resumo (EN)

This study investigated the prenatal effects of the lipopolissacharide (LPS) administration on maternal behavior aspects of female offspring rats. Thus, pregnant rats receveid, i.p route, 100 µg/kg of LPS (experimental group) or PBS (control group) in the 9,5 day of gestation. After delivery the female offspring rats of both groups were housed by treatment and in adult age were mated with male, without any treatment. The maternal behavior was observed in the 5th day of lactation. The general activity and the maternal aggressive behavior were performed in days 5 and 6 of lactation, respectively. After behavioral observations, the brains of these females were removed and submitted to immunohistochemical staining in order to observe GFAP astrocytic expression in the nucleus accumbens of both groups. ln relation to the control group, results showed that: 1) the latency to retrieve each pup and the total time in seconds to retrieve all pups were reduced; 2) in the aggressive maternal behavior, the latency to the first attack to the intruder, the number of attacks and the time of attack, as well the percentage of pups in the nest, were reduced; 3) no differences were detected in the general activity and; 4) no difference was found between groups in relation to GFAP astrocytic expression. lt was concluded that the LPS prenatal administration reduced the maternal behavior of the female offspring rats. These observations could have importance on survival of the following generations.