Abstract
The influence of allogenic stimulation on pregnancy and the development of progeny was studied in BALB/cLac female mice that were injected with C57BL/6J male (allogenic) red blood cells (AB) on the second day after intrastrain mating. On the 4th day of pregnancy AB-treated females had higher levels of plasma progesterone than syngenic blood (SB) treated females and controls (saline-treated). Administration of allogenic erythrocytes also stimulated embryo development and improved maternal behaviour. On the day of birth the incidence of new-born rejection was much lower in AB-treated mice than in SB-treated mice A battery of physiological and behavioural tests were used to assess the adaptive features of BALB/cLac males born to females injected with AB, SB or saline. These offspring groups did not differ in parameters of maximum aerobic performance, cold resistance or humoral immune response. At the same time, offspring of antigenically challenged mothers had less adrenocortical and behavioural responses to emotional stressors than offspring of SB and saline treated females. AB males also had higher mating success than other male groups.
