Transgenerational sex-specific neuro-morphological impact of pregestational stress on the hippocampus of rats (Ratus norvegicus)

In this study, the morphological changes of the granular neurons in the Dentate Gyrus region of the rat-offspring's hippocampus which effected by pregestational stress were investigated. Young adult female rats were divided into two groups after exposure to unexpected stress factors. One group was immediately mated after trauma and the other group was mated two weeks after trauma. After the offspring became adults, their hippocampus' were examined; dendritic lengths, dendritic complexity and total dendritic spine number of the granular neurons were calculated; stress and control groups were compared according to sex and hemisphere difference. As a result of these, though the dendritic complexity was found different in female and male offspring; there were no stress-based differences on dendritic length and total dendritic spine number. It was quantitatively calculated that the preconceptional stress impact increases dendritic complexity in female offspring and decreases in male offspring. However, there was no difference between the hemispheres.