Data on the effect of maternal separation coupled with social isolation in a forced swim test and gene expression of glial fibrillary acid protein in the prefrontal cortex of rats

Abstract

Early life adversity, such as neglect, increases the risk for major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. It is well-known that astrocytes have key roles in brain function. In this paper, we show the effect of maternal separation (MS) coupled with social isolation on stress response and gene expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a marker of astrocytes, in early life and adulthood. Stress response was evaluated by using a forced swim test. GFAP gene expression level was evaluated by using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. The data in this article provide indexes affected by early life stress. Keywords: Maternal separation, Early life stress, GFAP, qPCR, Forced swim test