Perspective: Chicken Models for Studying the Ontogenetic Origin of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Nutrients and xenobiotics cross the blood-placenta barrier, impacting fetal neurodevelopment and the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
• Investigating prenatal exposure effects is challenging in humans and rodents due to ethical and biological constraints.
• The maternal-fetal transfer of microbes shapes the initial gut microbiome, complicating rodent model studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the mechanisms by which maternal risk factors reprogram the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
• To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal exposure on psychosocial behaviors.
• To establish chicken embryos as a suitable alternative model for studying fetal exposure effects on neurogenesis and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing chicken embryos for deposition assessment and mechanistic studies due to accessibility and controlled development.
• Leveraging the social predisposition of chickens to study behavioral responses shortly after hatching.
• Comparing chicken embryos to human and rodent models for assessing fetal exposure impacts.

Main Results:

• Chicken embryos provide a unique model for assessing nutrient and xenobiotic deposition in the developing brain.
• The model allows for in vivo experimental manipulation to study neurogenesis and the origins of neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Chicken embryos circumvent the confounding factor of maternal-fetal microbial transfer present in rodent models.

Conclusions:

• Chicken embryos are a valuable alternative model for studying the effects of prenatal exposure on neurodevelopment.
• This model facilitates research into the ontogenetic origins of behaviors and neuropsychiatric disorders.
• The findings support the use of chicken embryos for mechanistic studies on fetal exposure and brain development.