Postnatal stress causes molecular changes in the brains of mice exposed to this stress, and these changes can be passed on to their offspring.
Marco Battaglia, from the University of Toronto, and Yves De Koninck, from Laval University’s Faculty of Medicine, have just published in the journal Science Advances demonstrating that molecular changes occurring in the brain following postnatal stress have long-lasting effects on anxiety propensity and pain sensitivity in mice that have experienced this stress. This transmission could be explained by the ASIC acidity receptors present in certain brain regions. A mechanism would promote expression of the genes coding for these receptors. As these receptors also exist in humans, the research team would like to continue their investigations in humans.
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