Insulin-like growth factor 1 reduces age-related disorders induced by prenatal stress in female rats
Neurobiology of Aging. 2006-01-01; 27(1): 119-127
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2005.01.008
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Stress during the prenatal period can induce permanent abnormalities in adult
life such as increased anxiety-like behavior and hyperactivity of
hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis system. The present study was designed
to investigate whether prenatal stress could induce spatial learning impairment
in aged female rats. Furthermore, since it has been recently reported that
insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) attenuates spatial learning deficits in aged
rats and promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus, we assessed the impact of a
chronic infusion of IGF-1 on age-related disorders. Our results show that females
stressed during prenatal life exhibit learning impairments in the water maze
task. Chronic IGF-1 treatment restores their spatial abilities, reduces their HPA
axis dysfunction and increases plasma estradiol levels. Parallel to these
effects, chronic IGF-1 up-regulates neural proliferation in the dentate gyrus of
the hippocampus. These findings support the hypothesis of an early programming of
the vulnerability to some neurological diseases during senescence and reinforce
the potential therapeutic interest of IGF-1 during brain aging.