Effect of perinatal stress on the biogenic amine neurotransmitter level of the adult rat's brain

The amount of biogenic amines (dopamine and serotonin) and their metabolites (DOPAC, HVA, 5-HIAA, and 5-HTOL) in five regions of the brain (frontal cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and brainstem) was studied in the male and female offspring of control and perinatally (48 h before birth or 48 h after birth) food and water deprived dams, when they were three months old, by using HPLC-EC determination. The increase of amine or metabolite level was dominant (19 values increased and 10 decreased related to control). Before-birth stress caused increase in 9 case and only 2 decreased, while in the case of after-birth stress 10 increased and 8 decreased. However, though there is no possibility to decide an exact tendency of direction, the after-birth stress (transmitted by milk) has more expressed effect. Striatum and brainstem were the most touched regions. There was a gender dependence with the dominance of males, except striatum. Blood plasma nociceptin level was also studied and there was a significant elevation in males after pre- and postnatal deprivation, while in females only after postnatal deprivation. The importance of the results in correlation with other stress effects is discussed.