ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Investigations relating to the effect of stress on reproductive outcome, offspring survival rate and chances of still births are currently attracting global concern. The present study evaluated the effect of maternal gestation induced-stress in the altered reproductive outcome of adult female Wistar rats, offspring sex – ratio and survival following exposure to different stress models. Methods: The study protocol involved two parts. Seventy-eight adult healthy female Wistar rats aged between 12 – 14 weeks and weighing between 150-180g were procured and utilized for part 1 study. The rats were exposed to three stressors; restraint, mirror and intruder, respectively, for three hours per day for three weeks. For part 2 experiment twenty-four female offspring rats from the part 1 study were used. Results: Exposure of rats to the varying stressors increased gestate on length, decreased mean pup weights and litter size at birth especially when the rats were stressed by exposure to restraint or intruder stressor. The effect of stress on gestation period, pup weights and litter size were largely variable and dependent on the nature of stressor applied. There was significant (p<0.05) reduction in the survival rates of offspring of rats exposed to the different nature of stressors especially when stressed with restraint or intruder stressors. The stressors’ impact was greatest when the rats were exposed to the varying stressors up to the end of the 2nd trimester and beyond. Furthermore, the male sex ratio of offspring of stressed rats was significantly (p<0.05) reduced than the females. Conclusion: Stressful maternal condition tends to compromise the fetal outcome, sex ratio specificity and the survival rate of offspring.