Effect of Early Stimulation on Some Immune Parameters in a Model of Prenatally Stressed Rats

The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of prenatal stress and handling on immune system cell distribution and lymphocyte T proliferation in adult Albino Wistar male rats. Prenatal stressed (PS) offspring by immobilization (IMO) were handled during the first week of life. Animals of both treatments were acute IMO stressed. Blood was extracted from 0 to 330 min, and counting of white blood cells, leucocyte subpopulations and levels of corticosterone (COR) were made. Lymphocyte T spleen proliferation was determined. COR, leucocyte, lymphocyte and neutrophil profiles and lymphocyte T proliferation were significant different between prenatal stress and non-handling group and prenatal control and non-handling group, however these responses were attenuated when animals were handled. In conclusion, early handling revert the effects of PS with re-exposure to the same postnatal stressor on the activity of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, the dynamic of leucocyte distribution and the mitogenic response of T lymphocytes.