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Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic Poly(I:C)
Published on: March 25, 2016
Alterations in behavior in adult offspring mice following maternal inflammation during pregnancy
Golan Hava1, Lev Vered, Mazar Yael
1Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer-Sheva, Israel. havag@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Insights
Maternal inflammation during pregnancy in mice led to increased anxiety and altered social behaviors in adult offspring. This suggests long-lasting neurodevelopmental effects on stress and social interactions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Maternal inflammation during pregnancy can harm offspring neurodevelopment.
- Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in pregnant mice increases fetal brain IL-6.
- Previous studies linked maternal inflammation to fetal brain changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of short, systemic maternal inflammation on offspring anxiety and social behavior.
- To determine if prenatal inflammatory exposure impacts adult stress responses and social interactions in mice.
Main Methods:
- Maternal inflammation was induced using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in pregnant mice.
- Offspring behavior was assessed in adulthood using the elevated plus maze for anxiety.
- Social interaction tests were conducted, observing aggression and grooming behaviors.
Main Results:
- Adult offspring from inflamed mothers exhibited heightened anxiety levels.
- Reduced activity and increased fear responses were observed in offspring from the maternal inflammation group.
- Offspring displayed decreased aggression and increased whisker-trimming behavior towards cagemates.
Conclusions:
- Short-term maternal inflammation during gestation has enduring negative consequences on adult offspring stress and social behavior.
- Prenatal inflammatory insults can lead to significant alterations in neurodevelopmental outcomes related to behavior.
Abstract:
Maternal intrauterine inflammation during pregnancy poses a major threat of neurodevelopmental brain damage in offspring and may cause poor cognitive and perceptual outcomes. In mice, we have previously shown that maternal inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at gestation day 17th increased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the fetal brain. In this study, we used the same system and examined the effect of short, systemic maternal inflammation on anxiety and social behavior of the offspring. Adult offspring from the maternal inflammation group showed increased anxiety, as indicated by the elevated plus maze. Social interaction among offspring from the test groups was examined when two unfamiliar mice from different litters were introduced into a new home-cage. Offspring from the maternal inflammation group showed reduced activity, indicating increased fear. In addition, offspring from the maternal inflammation group were less aggressive towards their cagemates and they spent a significantly longer time trimming the whiskers of their cagemates during the first 30 min of their interaction, compared to offspring from the control group. Our data suggest that short systemic maternal inflammation have long-lasting consequences on the adult mouse stress and social behavior.
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