| Abstract |
Early-life adversity (ELA) increases the risk for development of psychopathologies in adolescence and adulthood. Childhood neglect is a potent form of ELA and can be modeled through neonatal maternal separation. Maternal separation has been shown to alter cognition, learning and memory later in life. Here, we examined the contribution of maternal separation to the development of substance use disorder in adolescence, and whether changes in regional protein expression in the brain persist into adulthood. First, male and female rats exposed to maternal separation were compared to controls for changes in localized expression of the developmental growth factor, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), in several brain regions using immunohistochemistry. FGF2 is known to be upregulated by cocaine experience, is protective against fear over-expression and is a candidate biomarker for vulnerability and resilience to development of comorbid psychopathologies. Next, we examined whether maternal separation impacted sensitivity in adolescence to cocaine using the conditioned place preference paradigm, in which one of two chambers is associated with cocaine. Finally, we determined whether maternal separation altered regional FGF2 expression in the brain during adulthood, and if cocaine experience in adolescence had an impact. We are currently processing the brain tissue to examine regional FGF2 expression and have completed the conditioned place preference protocol. Our results will determine whether FGF2 is a potential risk or resilience factor for the development of psychopathologies and will pave the way for future studies examining comorbid addiction and fear disorders.
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| Modified Abstract |
Early-life adversity (ELA) increases the risk of substance abuse and development of psychopathologies in adolescence and adulthood. Childhood neglect is a potent form of ELA and can be modeled through neonatal maternal separation. We examined the impact of maternal separation on the sensitivity of cocaine use in adolescence, and whether changes in the localized expression of fibroblast growth factor – 2 (FGF2) in the brain persist into adulthood. FGF2 is known to be upregulated by cocaine experience and is a candidate biomarker for vulnerability and resilience to development of comorbid psychopathologies. Our results will determine whether FGF2 is a potential risk or resilience factor for the development of psychopathologies and will pave the way for future studies examining comorbid addiction and fear disorders.
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