Genotype and Prenatal and Premating Stress Interact To Affect Adult Behavior in Rats

Abstract

Open-field ambulation scores of rats were affected by stress received by their mothers prior to mating, whereas avoidance-conditioning scores were affected only by gestational stress. The direction of effects on ambulation depended upon offspring genotype, while those depending on conditioning were unidirectional. Both effects were mediated prenatally by the mother.