The Influences of maternal separation on neural circuit formation during brain development equivalent to preterm infants in human

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09715
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: OHTA Ken-ichi 香川大学, 医学部, 助教 (50403720)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 辰吾 香川大学, 医学部, 講師 (50451430) ; 三木 崇範 香川大学, 医学部, 教授 (30274294) ; 割田 克彦 鳥取大学, 農学部, 准教授 (40452669) ; 日下 隆 香川大学, 医学部, 教授 (50274288) ; 金西 賢治 香川大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (10263906) ; 久保 裕之 香川大学, 医学部, 協力研究員 (30564116)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 母子分離 / 扁桃体 / 内側前頭前皮質 / 興奮/抑制バランス / 攻撃性 / 社会性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we analyzed the influences of maternal separation (MS) during brain development equivalent to preterm infants in human using rat model. Our results showed that MS during brain development increased aggressive behavior and reduced the behavior related to social recognition after maturation. In addition, we found that reduction of various factors (VGAT, Neuroligin-2) related to inhibitory synapse in the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex of mature rat exposed to MS. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance disrupts normal function in these regions, which leads to cause excessive aggression and abnormality of sociability. Our study also revealed these influences of MS are not irreversible, but rather can be recovered depending on nurturing environment after MS.

Free Research Field

発達神経科学