Early life adversity reduces affiliative behavior towards a distressed cagemate and leads to sex-specific alterations in corticosterone responses.

ABSTRACT: Experiencing early life adversity (ELA) alters stress physiology and increases the risk for developing psychiatric disorders. The social environment can influence dynamics of stress responding and buffer and/or transfer stress across individuals. Yet, the impact of ELA on sensitivity to the stress of others and social behavior following stress is unknown. Here, to test the impact of ELA on social and physiological responses to stress, circulating blood corticosterone (CORT) and social behaviors were assessed in adult male and female mice reared under limited bedding and nesting (LBN) or control conditions. To induce stress, one cagemate of a pair-housed cage underwent a footshock paradigm and was then returned to their unshocked partner. CORT was measured in both mice 20 or 90 minutes afte

SUBMITTER: Breton JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10370200 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature