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Fig. 1 | BMC Genomics

Fig. 1

From: Early life and adult stress promote sex dependent changes in hypothalamic miRNAs and environmental enrichment prevents stress-induced miRNA and gene expression changes in rats

Fig. 1

Behavior and physiology associated with maternal separation, restraint stress, sex, and enrichment. A schematic diagram (a) shows the timeline of behavioral testing relative to MS, Enr, and RS. MS was conducted for 180 min daily for the first 14 postnatal days. Enr was provided to animals following weaning until tissues were harvested at PND 95. b) Statistical comparisons of behavior and miRNA expression were conducted using 3-way ANOVA across MS, RS, and sex (n = 6 animals per group; first 4 columns of Fig. 1b). Another 3-way analysis was conducted across RS, Enr, and sex, only in MS animals (last 4 columns of Fig. 1b). Analysis of Enr as a treatment following MS was conducted using one-way ANOVA with control, MS, and MS + Enr as groups (indicated across the top of Fig. 1b; n = 12 animals per group including n = 6 RS and n = 6 Non-RS animals per group). c-k) Behavioral changes based on the interaction between MS, RS, and sex are shown. Importantly, MS reduced sucrose preference (e; F(1,48)=9.24, p = 0.004) regardless of RS or sex. Sex was a significant predictor for escape latency (g; F(1,48)=7.70, p = 0.008), EPM movement (h; F(1,48)=9.20, p = 0.004), and FST swim and climb scores (i; F(1,48)=4.19, p = 0.047; j;F(1,48)=8.61, p = 0.006). l-t) In MS animals, a 3-way ANOVA revealed increased EPM movement (n; F(1,48)=22.91, p < 0.000) and sucrose preference (p:(1,48)=16.05, p < 0.000) and decreased FST climbing (o; F(1,48)=11.92, p = 0.001) and adrenal weight (s; F(1,48)=5.23, p = 0.028) following Enr. RS significantly increased plasma Cort levels (t; F(1,48)=4.39, p < 0.05).One-way ANOVA comparison of control, MS, and MS + Enr groups (u-y) revealed the Enr recovered sucrose preference changes induced by MS (u; F(2,69)=12.049, p < .001) as well as recovering FST climbing changes in male animals (v; F(2, 69)=6.841, p < 0.005). Bars represent Mean ± SEM with males in blue and females in red. Dotted linear trend lines in f indicate an interaction. Significance: *p < 0.05. Abbreviations: PND-postnatal day, MS-maternal separation, RS-restraint stress, Enr-environmental enrichment

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