Neonatal allopregnanolone levels alteration: Effects on behavior and role of the hippocampus
Progress in Neurobiology. 2014-02-01; 113: 95-105
DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.07.007
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Darbra S(1), Mòdol L(1), Llidó A(1), Casas C(2), Vallée M(3), Pallarès M(4).
Author information:
(1)Group of Neurosteroids and Behavior, Institut de Neurociències, Departament
de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona, Edifici B, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
(2)Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration, Institut de Neurociències,
Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, de Fisiologia i de Immunologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de
Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED),
Spain.
(3)Inserm U862, Univ Bordeaux: Physiopathologie de la plasticité neuronale,
Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France.
(4)Group of Neurosteroids and Behavior, Institut de Neurociències, Departament
de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona, Edifici B, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
Electronic address: .
Several works have pointed out the importance of the neurosteroid
allopregnanolone for the maturation of the central nervous system and for adult
behavior. The alteration of neonatal allopregnanolone levels in the first weeks
of life alters emotional adult behavior and sensory gating processes. Without
ruling out brain structures, some of these behavioral alterations seem to be
related to a different functioning of the hippocampus in adult age. We focus
here on the different behavioral studies that have revealed the importance of
neonatal allopregnanolone levels for the adult response to novel environmental
stimuli, anxiety-related behaviors and processing of sensory inputs (prepulse
inhibition). An increase in neonatal physiological allopregnanolone levels
decreases anxiety and increases novelty responses in adult age, thus affecting
the individual response to environmental cues. These effects are also
accompanied by a decrease in prepulse inhibition, indicating alterations in
sensory gating that have been related to that present in disorders, such as
schizophrenia. Moreover, behavioral studies have shown that some of these
effects are related to a different functioning of the dorsal hippocampus, as the
behavioral effects (decrease in anxiety and locomotion or increase in prepulse
inhibition) of intrahippocampal allopregnanolone infusions in adult age are not
present in those subjects in whom neonatal allopregnanolone levels were altered.
Recent data indicated that this hippocampal involvement may be related to
alterations in the expression of gamma-aminobutyric-acid receptors containing α4
and δ subunits, molecular alterations that can persist into adult age and that
can, in part, explain the reported behavioral disturbances.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.07.007
PMID: 23958467 [Indexed for MEDLINE]