Figure 8. Summary of effects triggered by corticosterone activity during early weaning in rats.
Upper and lower panels show schematic gastric gland in pups (18 days) and young- adult rats (30 days), respectively, according to the distribution of cells in suckling and early- weaned rats treated or not with RU486. Effects are noted as increase (⇑), decrease (⇓) and unresponsive (-) for the different markers used to identify genes (italics), proteins and populations of surface mucous (SM), mucous neck (MNC) and zymogenic cells (ZC). Genes, proteins and glycoproteins were studied separately, as indicated, and we demonstrated that corticosterone activity induced the expression of molecular markers involved in the differentiation of secretory cells in pups and part of effects were maintained in young- adults, suggesting a change of program in these cells.