Document Type
Article
Department
Brain and Mind Institute
Abstract
Stressor experiences during the juvenile period may increase vulnerability to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms in adulthood. Stressors may also promote palatable feeding, possibly reflecting a form of self-medication. The current study investigated the short- and long-term consequences of a stressor applied during the juvenile period on anxiety- and depressive-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction and forced swim test (FST). Furthermore, the effects of stress on caloric intake, preference for a palatable food and indices of metabolic syndrome and obesity were assessed. Male Wistar rats exposed to 3 consecutive days of variable stressors on postnatal days (PD) 27–29, displayed elevated anxiety-like behaviors as adults, which could be attenuated by consumption of a palatable high-fat diet. However, consumption of a palatable food in response to a stressor appeared to contribute to increased adiposity.
Publication (Name of Journal)
PLoS ONE
Recommended Citation
MacKay, J. C.,
James, J. S.,
Cayer, C.,
Kent, P.,
Anisman, H.,
Merali, Z.
(2014). Protracted Effects of Juvenile Stressor Exposure Are Mitigated by Access to Palatable Food. PLoS ONE, 9(5), 1-10.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/bmi/52
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.