Increased Anxiety-Like Phenotype in Female Guinea Pigs Following Reduced Neurosteroid Exposure In Utero

The study investigated the impact of reduced neurosteroid exposure in utero on anxiety-like behaviors in female guinea pigs. Pregnant guinea pigs were treated with either a vehicle or finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, from gestational day 60 until delivery. Offspring were tested at postnatal day 20 for behavioral changes and neurodevelopmental markers. Female offspring exposed to reduced allopregnanolone in utero exhibited increased anxiety-like responses compared to controls, although no significant differences were found in neurodevelopmental markers in the hippocampus or amygdala. This suggested that reduced prenatal allopregnanolone exposure could predispose female offspring to anxiety-like disorders without affecting long-term neurosteroid levels.