Fig. 5.

Early activation of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons prevents the emergence of the depression-like phenotype induced by early-life stress. a Scheme illustrates the experimental paradigms of MS + hM3Dq animals, analysed for behaviour as adults. b Graph shows the distance travelled in an open field (OF) by MS + hM3Dq animals exposed to SAL (black, n = 17) or CNO (red, n = 17). c Graph shows the time spent in the centre of the OF during the same 20 min test (n = 17 SAL/17CNO). d Graph shows the time spent in the open arm of an EPM during a 10 min test (n = 18 SAL/17CNO). e Graph shows the number of buried marbles at each minutes of a 20 min test (n = 18 SAL/16CNO). f Graph shows the time floating per min during a 6 min FST. g Graph shows the preference ratio for Object 1 (n = 14 SAL/13CNO). h, i Graphs show the cumulative time grooming after a splash with 20% sucrose solution. Comparison was made between SFR + hM3Dq animals exposed to chronic SAL or CNO (H, n = 14 SAL/13CNO) and between SFR or MS animals (I, n = 15 SAL/12CNO). *p < 0.05