Prenatal exposure to LPS leads to long-lasting physiological consequences in male offspring

Growing evidence suggests that early life events are critical determinants for disorders later in life. According to a comprehensive number of epidemiological/animal studies, exposure to lipopolysaccharide, causes alteration in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal functioning and the hormonal system which may contribute to behavioral and neurological injuries. In this study we investigated the effects of lipopolysaccharide administration on physiological parameters in pregnant dams and their male offspring aged 9 weeks. In gestational Day 10, pregnant mice were injected intrapritoneally with Salmonella enterica lipopolysaccharide to model prenatal exposure to infection. The following results were obtained for offspring from dams stressed during pregnancy: (a) reduced anxiety-related behavior in the elevated plus maze; (b) reduced food and water intake; (c) reduced body weight from birth up to postnatal Day 40. The observed data provide experimental evidence showing that prenatal stress can have complex and long-lasting physiological/behavioral consequences in offspring.