Postnatal Light Effects on Pup Stress Axis Development Are Independent of Maternal Behavior.

Postnatal environment shapes brain development during key critical periods. We have recently found that postnatal light environment has long-term effects on the stress and circadian systems, which can lead to altered stress responses, circadian behavior and a depressive phenotype in adulthood. However, it is still unclear how light experience affects the postnatal development of specific stress markers in the pup brain and the role played by maternal behavior and stress. To test this, we raised mice under either light-dark cycles (LD), constant light (LL) or constant darkness (DD) during the suckling stage. After weaning, all mice were exposed to LD until adulthood. Results show that postnatal light environment does not have any significant effects on dam stress levels (plasma corticosterone concentration, Arginine-vasopressin and Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression in the brain) or maternal behavior, including licking and grooming. Light environment does not have a major effect on litter characteristics or pup growth either. Interestingly, light environment during the suckling stage significantly impacted Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and