%0 Journal Article
%T Protracted Effects of Juvenile Stressor Exposure Are Mitigated by Access to Palatable Food
%A Jennifer Christine MacKay
%A Jonathan Stewart James
%A Christian Cayer
%A Pamela Kent
%A Hymie Anisman
%A Zul Merali
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2014
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0096573
%X Stressor experiences during the juvenile period may increase vulnerability to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms in adulthood. Stressors may also promote palatable feeding, possibly reflecting a form of self-medication. The current study investigated the short- and long-term consequences of a stressor applied during the juvenile period on anxiety- and depressive-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction and forced swim test (FST). Furthermore, the effects of stress on caloric intake, preference for a palatable food and indices of metabolic syndrome and obesity were assessed. Male Wistar rats exposed to 3 consecutive days of variable stressors on postnatal days (PD) 27¨C29, displayed elevated anxiety-like behaviors as adults, which could be attenuated by consumption of a palatable high-fat diet. However, consumption of a palatable food in response to a stressor appeared to contribute to increased adiposity.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0096573