Chronic Ultrasound Prenatal Stress Altered the Brain’s Neurochemical Systems in Newborn Rats

Figure 1

The metabolic parameters of neurotransmitter systems in the frontal cortex of newborn rats did not alter after exposure to ultrasound prenatal stress (n = 40 : 10 control males, 10 control females, 10 PS males, 10 PS females): (a) serotonin concentration in the frontal cortex; (b) HIAA concentration in the frontal cortex; (c) HIAA/serotonin ratio in the frontal cortex; (d) dopamine concentration in the frontal cortex; (e) DOPAC concentration in the frontal cortex; (f) DOPAC/dopamine ratio in the frontal cortex; (g) norepinephrine concentration in the frontal cortex. Data are expressed as med (Q1; Q3) in boxplots (a, c, d, e, f, and g) or as mean ± SEM in bar chat (b). Red triangles—outliers; colored dots—single data points (red—females, blue—males); red boxes—data on females; blue boxes—data on males; control, control group; PS, prenatal stress group; DOPAC, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid; HIAA, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.

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