To test the possibility that the pregestational chronic restraint stress can influence, indirectly, the development of the offspring, female albino wistar rats were divided into two experimental groups. The stress was applied 1 h daily for 4 days for 5 consecutive weeks, by placement into plexiglas tubes, so that the animal was unable to move. After parturition, the descent resulting from the control and stressed mothers was used for the behavioral study. Maternal glycemia was measured during stress. After birth, the neurobehavioral and physiological maturation of the offspring (somatic, physical, and reflexes) were studied from the 2end to the 18th postnatal day (PND). Results showed hyperglycemia in the stressed mothers, while the little rats resulting from stressed group present difficulties in tests used for physical and behavio,ral development considered as consequences the nervous structure deterioration occurred during the development.
Key words: pre-gestational stress, offspring development, behavioral maturation
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