ArticleBiology of sex differences2026
Maternal deprivation and adolescent alcohol exposure induce sex-dependent alterations in stress-related behavior and lipid signaling in rats.
Article in Biology of sex differences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEarly-life stress constitutes a major risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders, exerting enduring effects on stress responsivity and emotional behavior. Maternal deprivation (MD) is a well-established model of early adversity that induces persistent neurobiological alterations. During adolescence, alcohol exposure presents an additional challenge that may interact with early-life stress, potentially influencing long-term adaptations in a sex-dependent manner. Among the systems involved, lipid signaling pathways, including the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling, have emerged as key regulators of stress adaptation.
methodsMale and female Wistar rats were subjected to a single 24-h MD episode on postnatal day 9 (PND9). During adolescence (PND31-55), animals received intermittent alcohol exposure (3 g/kg) or saline. Behavioral assessments included the forced swim test and elevated plus maze. Plasma levels of corticosterone, monoacylglycerols, N-acylethanolamines, LPA, and autotaxin were measured. Concurrently, mRNA expression of genes encoding ECS- and LPA-related receptors, as well as enzymes involved in the metabolism of these lipid signaling pathways, was analyzed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Data were evaluated using three-way ANOVA with sex, MD, and adolescent alcohol exposure as factors.
resultsMD induced persistent metabolic alterations and revealed sex-specific effects on alcohol pharmacokinetics, with increased blood alcohol concentrations in MD females. Behavioral analyses demonstrated sex-dependent effects, with MD increasing active coping in males and decreasing it in females, while enhancing open-arm exploration independently of adolescent alcohol exposure. Adolescent alcohol exposure increased plasma corticosterone levels. MD and sex significantly altered circulating lipid mediators, showing opposite patterns in males and females. Additionally, MD and adolescent alcohol exposure differentially modulated the expression of ECS- and LPA-related genes in the mPFC, indicating sex-dependent molecular adaptations.
conclusionsEarly-life stress establishes long-lasting, sex-specific alterations in behavioral and lipid-mediated stress responses. Adolescent alcohol exposure acts as a secondary challenge, unmasking or amplifying these adaptations. The integration of peripheral lipid profiles with mPFC molecular changes highlights lipid signaling pathways as key mediators linking early adversity and adolescent experiences with long-term vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.