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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Oct 28.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Psychobiol. 2010 Nov;52(7):661–670. doi: 10.1002/dev.20490

FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1

The spectrum and sequence of molecular and hormonal changes induced by maternal care alterations via early-life handling. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of adult rats handled on postnatal (P) days P2–P9 is reduced, as are plasma ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) responses to stressors. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the hippocampus is increased in these rats compared with controls. These changes occur in a sequential manner with reduced CRH present already by P9, followed by reduced ACTH response to stress by P23 and reduced hippocampal GR appearing between P23 and P45. The sequence of changes supports the concept of CRH modulation as an early and essential step in bridging handling-induced enhanced maternal care and the enduring changes in the HPA system.