Table 2.
Organ weights expressed as organ-to-body weight (brain, pituitary, adrenal and peripheral) or organ-to-brain weight (hippocampus) ratios (mean± s.e.m.) in adult male offspring whose mothers had been left unstressed throughout pregnancy (control) or exposed to a strobe light on GD50–52 (PS50) or GD60–62 (PS60)
| HPA axis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prenatal treatment | Hippocampus | Pituitary | Brain | Adrenal |
| Control | 2.5 ± 0.2(11) | 5.5 ± 0.9(11) | 5.7 ± 0.2(11) | 3.1 ± 0.2(11) |
| PS50 | 2.5 ± 0.2(14) | 3.9 ± 0.2(14) | 6.5 ± 0.3(15)* | 3.2 ± 0.3(15) |
| PS60 | 2.8 ± 0.2(10) | 4.7 ± 0.5(10) | 5.9 ± 0.1(10) | 3.1 ± 0.2(10) |
| Peripheral | ||||
| Prenatal treatment | Heart | Lung | Kidney | Gonad |
| Control | 3.9 ± 0.4(11) | 3.2 ± 0.3(11) | 5.3 ± 0.3(11) | 2.1 ± 0.1(11) |
| PS50 | 4.2 ± 0.5(15) | 3.7 ± 0.3(15) | 5.8 ± 0.3(15) | 2.2 ± 0.1(15) |
| PS60 | 4.5 ± 0.6(10) | 3.1 ± 0.24(10) | 5.6 ± 0.4(10) | 2.3 ± 0.1(10) |
Ratios were multiplied by 102 (hippocampus), 103 (pituitary, brain and peripheral) and 104 (adrenal).
*
P < 0.05 indicates significant difference from controls. Numbers in brackets indicate numbers of animals in each group.