The effect of different stage of prenatal stress on the spatial learning and memory of offspring rats

Objective To observer the effect of prenatal stress on the spatial learning and memory of offspring rats. Methods The prenatal restrained-stress model was adopted. The dams in moderate pregnant and later stage were restrained respectively. The offspring rats from each group were examined in Morris Water Maze. Results ①The escape latency to reach the platform in prenatal stress groups offspring was longer than that in control( P 0.05). The latency in female offspring of LS was longer than that in CON female and LS male ( P 0.05). ②In spatial probe test, the staying-time of the MS and LS offspring in the quadrant of the primary platform was shorter than CON, but the result did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Prenatal stress can affect the capability of spatial learning in the offspring, especially in LS female offspring.