Proteomic characterization in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed rats

Rats exposed to early life stress are considered as a valuable model for the study of epigenetic programming leading to mood disorders and anxiety in the adult life. Rats submitted to prenatal restraint stress (PRS) are characterized by an anxious/depressive phenotype associated with neuroadaptive changes in the hippocampus. We used the model of PRS to identify proteins that are specifically affected by early life stress. We therefore performed a proteomic analysis in the hippocampus of adult male PRS rats. We found that PRS induced changes in the expression profile of a number of proteins, involved in the regulation of signal transduction, synaptic vesicles, protein synthesis, cytoskeleton dynamics, and energetic metabolism. Immunoblot analysis showed significant changes in the expression of proteins, such as LASP-1, fascin, and prohibitin, which may lie at the core of the developmental programming triggered by early life stress.

Percent of differentially expressed proteins identified by proteomic analysis in the hippocampus of adult male rats exposed in utero to restraint stress (PRS rats).Figure optionsDownload high-quality image (79 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► We have performed a proteomic analysis in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed (PRS) adult male rats.
► PRS induced changes in proteins involved in neuroplasticity and energetic metabolism.
► These proteins help in the identification of novel candidates involved in stress-related disorders.