Increased depression-like behavior in offspring of parents exposed to dim light at night before mating

Maternal exposure to dim light at night (5lx) decreased sucrose preference and altered hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor expression in offspring.

• Increased rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) have been observed over the past 50 years.
• Exposure to light at night (LAN) is associated with depressive-like behavior in both rodents and humans.
• Chronic dim LAN exposure in adult Siberian hamsters affected both maternal and paternal contributions to offspring behavior.
• Maternal exposure to dLAN resulted in decreased sucrose preference and increased time spent floating during a swim test.
• Paternal exposure to dLAN increased the time spent floating and heightened glucocorticoid receptor expression in the hippocampus.
• These findings suggest potential multigenerational effects of nighttime lighting on depressive-like behaviors.

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