Integrated examination about the effect of the postnatal environment on the central nervous system

Abstract

In our recent studies, the effect of maternal deprivation (MD) in the early postnatal period on the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis in adulthood. The following results were obtained.
(1) MD in the postnatal period induces long-term effects on stress responsibility of the HPA axis. Furthermore, a critical age of the pup at the time of MD exists as well as a critical length of MD for inducing these effects.
(2) It was suggested that the long-term effects of MD on the HPA axis might be mediated by decreasing negative feedback regulation in the hippocampus of the HPA axis.
(3) Methamphetamine-induced extension of the period of the clock gene Per I expression was more enhanced in the mice subjected to MD in the early postnatal period than control.