The gestational exposure to Luffa operculata and a late stressor in young Wistar rats induce sex-specific behavioral, inflammatory, and stress hormone responses

Abstract

Luffa operculata (L.) Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) aqueous extract (EBN) was gestationally administered to Wistar rats to evaluate sex-related behavioral changes in young individuals receiving a two-hit stimulus of 1 mg/kg EBN, followed by stress challenge (NYM) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure. EBN exposition occurred by gavage at gestational days (GDs) 17 to 21, and NYM or LPS was conducted at post-natal day 60 (PND60). Behavior was evaluated in the open field (OF) and light-dark box (LDB) apparatuses. Serum hormones, pro- inflammatory cytokines, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine were measured. The liver and kidneys were histologically evaluated. Male and female young rats responded differently in latency to the light side and locomotion frequency on the dark side, corticosterone (females, LPS), and ACTH (females, stress). Male rats showed improved TNF-α (LPS group) and melatonin (LPS group). No histological or biochemical differences were observed in the liver or kidneys. Female young rats were more resilient to the two-hit-stimulus than the male rats. The gestational administration of EBN to male and female Wistar rats and a second stimulus (stress challenge or LPS exposure) at a young age allowed for discriminating differences in behavior, stress hormones, and cytokines according to the sex of the rat. However, no histological alterations in the liver or kidneys were observed, nor in the AST, ALT, or creatinine levels.

Keywords
Animal behavior; Buchinha-do-norte ; Cognitive performance; Interleukins; Reproduction; Gestational treatment; Reproductive pharmacology; Traditional medicine Meso- and Southern America