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Effects of quercetin on predator stress-related hematological and behavioural alterations in pregnant rats and their offspring

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Abstract

This study aims at investigating the effect of a psychogenic stress during gestation on the behaviour and haematological indices in dams as well as on the neonatal haematological status and periadolescent behaviour in their offspring. Moreover, the ability of quercetin, a natural flavonoid, to prevent the stress-induced changes was estimated. Pregnant Wistar rats were pretreated with quercetin before the exposure to a predator stress on gestational day 19. Post-stress maternal anxiety-like behaviour was assessed with a concomitant haematological analysis. In the offspring, haematological analysis and behavioural testing were performed during the postnatal stage. Our results revealed that predator stress causes an anxiety-like behaviour in dams along with a decrease in erythrocytes, a microcytosis, and a thrombocytosis. Prenatally stressed neonates manifested microcytosis and thrombocytosis with a significant polycythemia. Signs of motor hyperactivity, anxiety-like behaviour, and memory dysfunction were detected at periadolescence. Quercetin pretreatment alleviated the stress-induced behavioural and haematological impairments in dams but failed to attenuate the haematological changes in neonates. A sex-dependent effect of quercetin on behaviour was found at periadolescence. Our findings suggest that, besides a beneficial effect on haematological and behavioural anomalies in traumatized dams, quercetin may lastingly modulate the behaviour of their progeny.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mounir Merzoug, Doria A Bensaoula and Ibtissem Chouba for their technical and experimental assistance. The scientific advices of Prof. Abdellatif Boutefnouchet are highly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Neuro-endocrinologie Appliquée, Département de Biologie, Université Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria

    Mohamed L Toumi, Sameha Merzoug & Abdelkrim Tahraoui

  2. Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Institut des Sciences et Technologies, Centre Universitaire de Mila, Mila, Algeria

    Mohamed L Toumi

  3. Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université d’El-Tarf, El-Tarf, Algeria

    Sameha Merzoug

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  1. Mohamed L Toumi
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[Toumi ML, Merzoug S and Tahraoui A2016 Effects of quercetin on predator stress-related hematological and behavioural alterations in pregnant rats and their offspring. J. Biosci.] DOI 10.1007/s12038-016-9613-1

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Toumi, M.L., Merzoug, S. & Tahraoui, A. Effects of quercetin on predator stress-related hematological and behavioural alterations in pregnant rats and their offspring. J Biosci 41, 237–249 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-016-9613-1

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