Effects of pre- and postnatal litter size reduction on development and behavior of rat offspring

Abstract

Litter size was reduced to 2‐5 rat pups either prenatally by unilateral maternal oviduct ligation (Group PRN) or postnatally by removing pups (Group PST). Normal size litters (8‐10 pups) of sham ligated (SHM) and intact (CON) mothers served as controls. Weights at 30 days were increased by prenatal or postnatal reduction and reduced by prenatal stress (SHM); the sex difference in weight was most pronounced in PRN rats. At 75 days PRN rats were heaviest, with no differences between the other groups. Relative ovarian weights were reduced in PRN females and absolute testes weights increased in PST males. The PRN and SHM females had smaller relative adrenal weights than CON and PST females. Open‐field activity was generally increased by prior avoidance conditioning and effects of treatments were found only in groups tested after avoidance‐conditioning: PRN and SHM rats were more active than PST and CON rats, particularly on Days 1 (SHM) and 4 (SHM and PRN) of testing. Passive‐avoidance behavior of PRN rats was also more susceptible to previous test experience: they emerged more slowly if they had prior open‐field experience. The PST animals, in contrast, emerged more rapidly after prior test experience. Plasma corticosterone levels and shuttlebox conditioning and extinction were unaffected by treatments.