Age-related changes in behavior profile in male offspring of rats treated with poly I:C-induced maternal immune
Tengfei Chen1,2,3, Huadan Meng1,2,3, Ni Fang1,2,3
1Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.
Insights
Maternal immune activation during pregnancy, triggered by poly I:C, caused lasting behavioral issues in offspring. These include anxiety, social deficits, and impaired cognitive and sensorimotor gating functions in rats.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Immunology
Background:
- Prenatal viral infections are linked to autism and schizophrenia.
- The impact of maternal immune activation on offspring behavior across development is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how maternal immune activation affects offspring behavior at different developmental stages.
- To determine if prenatal exposure to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) induces specific behavioral phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with poly I:C on gestational day 9.
- Offspring were assessed for various behaviors during adolescence and adulthood.
Main Results:
- Poly I:C exposure elevated maternal serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α.
- Offspring exhibited increased anxiety, impaired social approach, and progressive deficits in cognitive and sensorimotor gating functions.
Conclusions:
- Maternal immune activation during pregnancy results in developmentally specific behavioral impairments in offspring.
- These findings suggest a critical window for prenatal immune challenges impacting neurodevelopment.
Background:
Autism and schizophrenia are environmental risk factors associated with prenatal viral infection during pregnancy. It is still unclear whether behavior phenotypes change at different developmental stages in offspring following the activation of the maternal immune system.
Methods:
Sprague-Dawley rats received a single caudal vein injection of 10 mg/kg polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on gestational day 9 and the offspring were comprehensively tested for behaviors in adolescence and adulthood.
Results:
Maternal serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were elevated in poly I:C-treated dams. The offspring of maternal poly I:C-induced rats showed increased anxiety, impaired social approach, and progressive impaired cognitive and sensorimotor gating function.
Conclusion:
Maternal immune activation led to developmental specificity behavioral impairment in offspring.
