MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE SPLEEN OF OFFSPRING SUBJECTED TO STRESS

Abstract

Maternal stress is known to affect the development of immune organs in offspring. This study investigates morphological changes in the spleen of progeny born to dams exposed to chronic stress during gestation. Using histological analysis, we quantified alterations in white pulp area, red pulp area, lymphoid follicle size, and cellular composition in offspring at postnatal day 21. Compared to controls, stressed‐offspring showed significant atrophy of white pulp, increased red pulp proportion, reduced follicle diameter, and decreased lymphocyte density. These findings suggest that prenatal stress impairs splenic architecture, potentially compromising immune competence.