1 research outputs found
Prenatal corticosterone influences the trajectory of neuronal development, delaying or accelerating aspects of the Purkinje cell differentiation
The nervous system developmental programs
proceed in orderly fashion following strict timetables.
However, the mechanisms regulating developmental
timing remain largely unknown.
Increases or decreases in glucocorticoids in the fetal
brain can be detrimental. We present evidence
supporting that corticosterone forwards the migration of
cerebellar granule neurons when applied acutely during
pregnancy. This change in developmental tempo
enhances dendritic growth of Purkinje neurons, increases
the nuclear area, accelerates perinucleolar rosette
appearance and decreases the development of Nissl
bodies. Our observations thus support that forwarding
the occurrence of developmental events does not always
arrest neuronal growth, as some heterochronic
developmental models imply. We suggest that prenatal
glucocorticoids alter the trajectory of Purkinje neurons
development soon after birth. These changes could
represent a transient condition or could produce medium
or long-term later consequences. More studies are
needed to evaluate these intriguing possibilitie