Discussion
Male and female offspring from mothers exposed to DLAN showed increased body mass gain at PN25. DLAN male offspring had lower food consumption, while DLAN females exhibited increased food consumption. In social play behavior, no differences were found between DLAN and LD female offspring. In contrast, DLAN male offspring exhibited a significant decrease in social play behavior compared to LD animals, which was associated with higher numbers of microglia in the NAc that had more ramified morphology. Importantly, at PN90, DLAN offspring presented increased anxiety-like behaviors. These results demonstrate that DLAN exposure induces intergenerational behavioral alterations that persist until adulthood.
Methods
This study investigated the effects of maternal exposure to DLAN or a light-dark cycle (LD) before (5 weeks) and during the gestational period (21-23 days) on the metabolism and behavior of offspring in adolescence and adulthood. Body mass was measured every 5 days from postnatal day 1 (PN1) to PN25 and every 10 days from PN40 to PN90; food consumption was monitored weekly from PN40 to PN90. Social play behavior was evaluated at PN40. The quantification and morphology of microglia in the NAc were measured on PN30. An open field test was conducted at PN60, and anhedonia test was assessed at PN90.