Cellular alteration in the central nervous system of adult rats after neonatal inflammatory nociceptive stimulation

Abstract

Invasive painful procedures are often performed in neonates admitted into intensive care units (ICU). The acute and long-term stimulation caused by these procedures can be investigated in animal models, such as newborn rats. Previous studies have shown that animals subjected to noxious stimulation in the neonatal period have behavioral changes, such as signs of anxiety or depression. Under the same conditions, neonatal stimuli also lead to increase in neurogenesis rate and cellular activation in the hippocampus. In this scenario, the study proposal is to analyze the expression of central monoamines, receptors expression (5-HT1A) and signaling factors (p-CREB) in key structures involved in the emotional behavior regulation in adult rats after neonatal nociceptive stimulation (induced in the first or eighth day after birth, with the intraplantar injection of CFA Freund's adjuvant - complete).