Pre-gestational stress reduces the ratio of 5-HIAA to 5-HT and the expression of 5-HT1A receptor and serotonin transporter in the brain of foetal rat

Table 7 HPLC analysis results of 5-HT,5-HIAA and 5-HIAA/5-HT in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of foetuses

Groups	n	Position	5-HT (ng/g)	5-HIAA (ng/g)	5-HIAA/5-HT
Female foetuses of control	47	Hippocampus	215.4 ± 15.8	165.1 ± 9.6	0.771 ± 0.041
			(210.8~220.0)	(162.3~167.9)	(0.759~0.783)
		Hypothalamus	116.9 ± 8.2	44.5 ± 5.5	0.382 ± 0.021
			(114.5~119.3)	(42.9~46.1)	(0.376~0.388)
Female foetuses of CUS	43	Hippocampus	236.3 ± 16.1**	135.8 ± 15.7**	0.572 ± 0.059**
			(231.3~241.3)	(130.9~140.7)	(0.554~0.590)
		Hypothalamus	146.7 ± 13.8**	46.1 ± 3.3	0.313 ± 0.052**
			(142.5~150.9)	(45.1~47.2)	(0.297~0.329)
Male foetuses of control	40	Hippocampus	206.7 ± 16.4	173.2 ± 12.8	0.84 ± 0.069
			(201.4~212.0)	(169.1~177.3)	(0.818~0.862)
		Hypothalamus	141.6 ± 15.2	54.9 ± 3.8	0.391 ± 0.044
			(136.7~146.5)	(53.7~56.1)	(0.377~0.405)
Male foetuses of CUS	49	Hippocampus	238.5 ± 10.5**	149.3 ± 10.2**	0.633 ± 0.07**
			(235.5~241.5)	(146.4~152.2)	(0.613~0.653)
		Hypothalamus	175.3 ± 13.3**	53.2 ± 6.3	0.312 ± 0.042**
			(171.5~179.1)	(51.4~55.0)	(0.300~0.324)

Data are mean ± S.D. Data in bracket are 95% confidence intervals for each relevant statistic. **: P < 0.01 compared with control by the same sex and the same position

ISSN: 1471-2202