The effect of prenatal restraint stress on the immune function of 60 days male rats

Background: The role of prenatal restraint stress on the immune function of male rats has been studied previously. In this study we evaluated the effect of this stress on some of the blood cells. Methods: To study of the prenatal restraint stresses effect on the immune system, pregnant rats were divided into four groups including one control group and three experimental groups. The control group did not receive any stress during the gestation period. In the experimental groups (1, 2 and 3) the pregnant rats were subjected to the restraint stress respectively from 8 to 21, 8 to17, and 17 to 21 days of gestation Offspring were housed in laboratory conditions with their mothers until 40 days of age. At the age of 60 days the blood samples were taken from the male rats. Findings: Prenatal stress markedly decreased the total number of white blood cells (WBC) in groups 1 and 3, and the percent of granulocyte cells in groups 1, 2 and 3 decreased. The percent of lymphocyte cells in the groups 1, 2 and 3 compared with control group increased significantly. The number of red blood cells (RBC) significantly increased in group 1 and 2 compared to control group. The number of platelet cells also increased in group 1. Conclusion: Our data support that prenatal restraint stresses alter the function of immune and hemopoietic system. Further studies needed to evaluate these effects precisely. Key words: Restraint stress, prenatal stress, immune function.