The Effect of Maternal Stress Activation on the Offspring during Lactation in Light of Vasopressin

Table 1

Stress-related hormonal changes in the dams during lactation.

Hormone	Changes	References
Resting levels compared to virgins
CRH	Lower mRNA levels in PVN	[28, 29]
	Higher mRNA	[30, 31]
AVP	Increase mRNA in PVN	[28, 29, 31]
ACTH	Normal	[30]
	Reduced	[29]
Glucocorticoids	Enhanced	[29, 30]
Prolactin	Elevated	[29]
Catecholamines (NA, A)	No change in hypothalamus	[32]
Oxytocin	Higher mRNA in PVN	[29, 33]
Changes after stressor exposure compared to virgins
CRH	No increase	[31]
AVP	Enhanced colocalization with CRH; increase both in mRNA and protein	[29, 31]
ACTH	Diminished activation	[30]
Glucocorticoids	Diminished activation	[30]
Prolactin	Diminished activation	[34]
Catecholamines (NA, A)	Diminished activation	[34]

During pregnancy and lactation the hormonal system of the mother undergoes substantial changes. The best known are the changes in sexual steroids [35]. Growth hormone elevation also occurs [36]. However, suckling or stressors during lactation induced no changes in plasma thyrotrophin, growth hormone, or sexual hormone level [37]. A: adrenaline; ACTH: adrenocorticotropin hormone; AVP: arginine vasopressin; CRH: corticotropin-releasing hormone; mRNA: messenger ribonucleic acid; NA: noradrenaline; PVN: paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.