The effects of forced exercise and zinc supplementation during pregnancy on prenatally stress‐induced behavioral and neurobiological consequences in adolescent female rat offspring

Prenatal manipulations can lead to neurobehavioral changes in the offspring. In this study, individual and combined effects of forced exercise and zinc supplementation during pregnancy on prenatally restraint stress (PRS)‐induced behavioral impairments, neuro‐inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress have been investigated in adolescent female rat offspring. Pregnant rats were divided into five groups: control; restraint stress (RS); RS + exercise stress (RS + ES), RS + zinc supplementation (RS + Zn); and RS + ES + Zn. All the pregnant rats (except control) were exposed to RS from gestational days 15 to 19. Pregnant rats in ES groups were subjected to forced treadmill exercise (30 min/daily), and in Zn groups to zinc sulfate (30 mg/kg/orally), throughout the pregnancy. At postnatal days 25–27, anxiety‐like and stress‐coping behaviors were recorded, and the gene expressions of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and the concentration of total antioxidant capacity were measured in the prefrontal cortex. PRS significantly enhanced anxiety, generated passive coping behaviors, increased IL‐1β and TNF‐α expression, and decreased the antioxidant capacity. ES potentiated while zinc reversed PRS‐induced behavioral impairments. Prenatal zinc also restored the anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant capacity but had no effect on additive responses imposed by the combination of RS and ES. Suppression of PRS‐induced behavioral and neurobiological impairments by zinc suggests the probable clinical importance of zinc on PRS‐induced changes on child temperament.